The Pursuit of Clarity
by Janerey
Summary: If not for the ideas his mother had planted about being in love with Betty, Daniel never would've followed this path that started with dropping his career, his home, his life just to see her face again hoping it would lead to some moment of clarity.
1. Chapter 1

_AUTHOR'S NOTE: I've been LOVING all the Ugly Betty fanfiction – especially the continuation stories! It was so hard to see the show end without seeing whatever became of Detty, so these fics have been satisfying my craving for more. My problem with how the series ended was that the writers didn't really take the time to develop Daniel and Betty's love for each other. It kind of just appeared out of nowhere in the last few episodes. This is my own take on the continuation of Ugly Betty, but I really wanted to take the time to develop their feelings before they get together. This is also my VERY FIRST fanfic, so please, please R&R, but be nice and CONSTRUCTIVE! THANKS!_

_DISCLAIMER: I do not own Ugly Betty, its characters, or any ideas, concepts, or names originating from the ABC show._

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><p>He wasn't sure why he was flying all the way across the ocean for his former assistant. He wasn't even sure what he would do when he got there. He had spent the greater part of the past two months deliberating with the alien feelings he had been having since Hilda and Bobby's wedding. Betty was especially beautiful that day. Maybe it was the dress or the hair and makeup. Or maybe it was the glow of pure joy she had for her sister. Or perhaps beauty really was in the eye of the beholder. Weddings had a way of putting everyone in the mood to fall in love. Perhaps Daniel was just looking at Betty through new eyes. Then there was Hilda's speech. It's like she was describing his and Betty's relationship to a tee and calling it "true love." Was it love or just a special friendship? Whatever it was, Daniel hadn't been able to stop thinking about Betty since that day.<p>

He blamed his mother. If it wasn't for the ideas she planted in his head about being in love with Betty, he never would have been so perplexed and he certainly never would have followed this path. This path that started with dropping his career, his home, his life just to see her face again and hoping this path would lead to some moment of clarity.

Betty usually did that for him. Whenever he felt like he was floundering or confused, she would be there with a bagel and a pep talk and the fog would just lift away. But now she was gone and he had spent the last two months lost. MODE no longer seemed important to him, dating was no longer interesting (he hadn't even slept with a single one of his last 20 dates). He missed her and he felt horrible for having hurt her before she left. He was like a fish living his life in water – swimming in it, breathing it, relying on it to survive, but completely unaware of its presence until he was taken out of it. Suddenly he felt like he was suffocating without her there.

Was he really in love with her? He had always felt a deep love and respect for her as his best friend and his backbone, but _in love?_ And if he was, what would become of it? Would Betty even reciprocate those feelings? Was he ready to even make that kind of commitment to someone so soon after Molly? What if she rejected him? Would it just make their friendship forever awkward? Would he go back to New York to everything he had already given up? Would he stay in London anyway? So many questions swirled around in his mind it was beginning to be physically debilitating.

"_Ladies and gentlemen, this is the Captain speaking. W__e will be landing at London Heathrow Airport in about 15 minutes. The weather around Heathrow is partly cloudy and we are looking at a slightly bumpy descent, so please be sure to put on your safety belts and put away your tray tables at this time. Thank you for flying with us today."_

This was it. He had been rehearsing in his mind for the last 7 hours what he would say or do once he saw Betty again, but now that he was just about there, his mind went blank. As the plane touched down on the tarmac, he went with the decision to play it safe and start with an apology. If nothing else came of this trip, he at least owed her that much. He would at least go home with his best friend back (hopefully) and she could help him bring his future into focus – whether or not that future had her in it.


	2. Chapter 2

_AUTHOR'S NOTE: I really wanted to get inside each of their heads and go through all the deliberation of feelings that seemed to be missing from the show. I really didn't want the process of falling in love to be this light switch that just suddenly turned on for both of them. I really wanted to see them battle with defining their feelings and relationship. This chapter takes place the same day as the last chapter, but more from Betty's point of view. Also, I know NOTHING about the magazine world, so I couldn't even make up anything specific that they could be saying or doing in the work setting! Hope you like it anyway. I haven't done any creative writing in over 10 years, so feel free to offer pointers!_

__DISCLAIMER: I do not own Ugly Betty, its characters, or any ideas, concepts, or names originating from the ABC show.__

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><p>"Charlotte, I'm heading out to a lunch meeting right now. Would you mind taking down my messages? Also, here is a list of advertisers I need you to contact and set up some pitch meetings with… and please don't look at me like that. I'm working on getting an assistant! I promise, no more than two more weeks of this and then I'll be someone else's problem!" Charlotte let out an exasperated sigh then waved off Betty as a sign of her reluctant compliance.<p>

Betty rushed off with three other editors to discuss ideas over lunch. Being Editor-in-chief was a lot more difficult than Betty had ever imagined it would be. She thought that the years of experience she had assisting Daniel (and let's be honest, _doing_ much of the work for him) would give her a head start on her rookie season, but taking on a magazine in its infancy was far more arduous a task than taking over the reins for an established magazine giant like MODE. Then again, she and Daniel were a force to be reckoned with. Together, they were able to do anything, conquer any obstacle. Just how _did_ a misfit playboy like Daniel and his awkward, fashion-challenged sidekick manage to fill the shoes of one legendary Ms. Fey Sommers? In retrospect, it didn't seem possible, yet somehow they became an unstoppable team.

But what were they now? They hadn't even spoken in over two months. She had no idea what was going on in his life or how he was dealing with running MODE. She wanted so badly to call him and tell him about all the new and exciting experiences she was going through with the magazine and share her fears and concerns about this new endeavor and get his advice, but he was so hurt by her decision to leave she was sure he never wanted to speak to her again. Or even if he did, it wouldn't seem right to discuss the details of her new life and career and rub it all in his face. Thinking about Daniel and the best friend she so longed to have rooting for her and encouraging her through her life's greatest challenge made the void in her heart ache all over again.

In spite of that, Betty rarely had time to feel lonely between her endless cycle of meetings, phone calls, pitches, researching, writing, and editing. In fact, in the past two months, she hardly spoke with her family despite promises of Skyping twice a week or made any time to visit Christina and William on a weekend. Work consumed her. There was a reason she and the other editors were working through their lunch break. They were so close to printing their very first edition and it was the last push to get this magazine up and running.

After they wrapped their lunch meeting, the three other editors headed back to Dunn Publications while Betty made a quick stop at the post office. She called Charlotte to see if she had gotten any phone calls or messages.

"Yes, Land Rover would like to set up a meeting with you. They're actually starting a campaign to advertise toward female customers, so they're interested in our magazine."

"Wow! That's fantastic! Thank you, Charlotte! Please do set up that meeting. Any other messages?"

"Well, you did receive a call from a gentleman who was asking where to find you, but he didn't leave his name or any message to forward you. It was a bit mysterious."

"Hmm… that's strange. So he didn't identify himself at all?"

"No, I'm sorry. But if it helps, he did sound American. Maybe someone from home?"

"I have no clue. But I'm sure if it's important, he'll call back. Thank you again, Charlotte, for assisting me. I know it's not part of your job description as the receptionist, but I'm just as eager as you are to find me a suitable assistant. I'll be back in the office in a bit. Bye."

A mysterious, American man called looking for Betty? The first person that popped into her head was Daniel, but she quickly dismissed that idea so as not to get her hopes up for any sort of reconciliation. All she needed was one inkling, one minuscule indication that he was willing to be her friend again, and she would have hit his number on speed dial in a heartbeat. But it could have been anyone. Marc? Henry? Matt? Bobby? Oh no! What if it was Bobby and something had happened to Hilda! Betty quickly dialed Bobby's number and waited anxiously for his voice to answer.

"Hey, Chipmunk! Long time no talk! What's going on?"

"Hi, Bobby. Did you happen to call my office earlier looking for me? Is everything ok there? How's Hilda? Justin and Papi okay?"

"Whoa, slow down, Chipmunk, everything is fine and no, I didn't call. That's usually your sister or your father's job, isn't it?"

"Well, my receptionist said an American gentleman called looking for me but didn't leave a name."

"And you thought of me? How sweet. But who else do you think it could be? You're such a heartbreaker, you left a lot of lonely hearts behind here in the States."

"Oh stop it, Bobby! You're terrible. I'm not a heartbreaker! But I really should get going soon. I'm just on my way back to the office right now. I just wanted to che – OH! Sorry!" Betty bumped into a passerby, but looked up and made a shocking realization. "_**Daniel?"**_

"Daniel?" Bobby's voiced echoed from the phone.

"Bobby, tell Hilda I'll call her tonight. Gotta go."

Betty's heart was racing as she stood there in utter disbelief that Daniel was actually in London. All she wanted to do was throw her arms around him in an embrace that spoke volumes about how sorry she was for being dishonest with him, for leaving him behind, and for not trying to contact him. But in two months' time, Daniel had become a stranger. She had no idea where their friendship stood at that moment in time. It felt like a lifetime she waited searching his eyes for an answer to what he was doing there. Waiting for his voice to break the ice.


	3. Chapter 3

_AUTHOR'S NOTE: This chapter is taken from the last scene of Ugly Betty –the conversation on the steps, so there is a significant amount of familiar dialogue. I'm really not a big fan of this chapter. In fact, I hit a hump trying to work around the pre-existing conversation, but I just needed to get through this to move on with the story. Bear with me! Anyway, I obviously don't take any credit for that portion of their conversation._

_DISCLAIMER: I still don't own Ugly Betty, its characters, or the rights to the script._

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><p>"Betty." Daniel broke the silence with a shy smile.<p>

"Daniel, what are you doing here?"

"I-I… I'm sorry, I didn't mean to ambush you like this. Gosh, I'm such an idiot. I'm probably the last person you wanted to see."

"Are you kidding? Yes, you're the last person I _expected_ but, gosh, I… I'm so happy to see you!"

"Really?" Daniel was genuinely surprised that Betty would actually be pleased to see him after the way he treated her. Betty beamed with that radiant smile that had lit up the last 4 years of his life.

"Yes, really. I've missed you like you wouldn't believe," she admitted.

"So… do you have some time? You looked like you were in a rush to get somewhere. Back to work?"

"Yeah, but I can spare a minute for my best friend." _Best friend._ Daniel had mixed feelings hearing those words. On one hand, knowing he was still so important to her was comforting. On the other hand, it stung a little. But why?

Betty began leading them toward the large steps. "So you never answered my question. What are you doing here in London? MODE business?"

Daniel was surprised she hadn't heard about his resignation from his mother, Marc, or Amanda. "Umm, no, actually. I… don't…uh…" He didn't know why it was so difficult to admit it to her. He felt a little ashamed to tell her he quit. He was afraid he would be disappointed in him like he had given up or like he wasn't any good at his job without her help. "I quit MODE," he finally said quietly.

"What? Oh my gosh, Daniel, why did you quit MODE?" He could see in her eyes, she was more concerned than disappointed, so he felt compelled to continue.

"It just wasn't for me. I just felt like I needed to walk away from it all." Betty knew him so well, and he didn't want her to suspect he had quit to follow her. He knew she would carry a burden of guilt over it if that is what she thought. "For me," he reassured her.

Betty put her hand on his arm to stop him and gestured for him to have a seat on the steps. The touch was their first physical contact since bumping into one another. They both seemed to have been treading lightly, afraid of being prematurely familiar with one another after such a long hiatus, but she wanted to give this news her undivided attention. "Daniel, that's _huge!_ What happened?"

"Umm… I just told Wilhelmina it was all hers. She worked hard to get where she's at and she deserved to be editor-in-chief. _You_ worked hard to be an editor-in-chief. What have I ever done?"

"Stop it. You were a fantastic Editor-in-chief!" There it was. The verge of one of Betty's signature pep talks. Daniel smirked at what he recognized to be obligatory pleasantries. "So was that hard for you?"

"Not really. Well, just, I realized I've had everything handed to me. I've never really gotten anything on my own like you."

"Well, I know there's a lot you can do, Daniel," she continued to encourage him.

"Thank you. And I also realized I didn't really say goodbye which is really not cool… goodbye. Good luck and have a safe flight."

"Thank you. I'll call you when I get there." They both chuckled. "So that's it? You're headed back to New York?"

"No, I think I'm gonna stay around here for a while. See what I can find." And before lost the courage, he tacked on, "Maybe take you to dinner. Tonight, if you're free?"

"I would love that." The courthouse clock chimed and reminded Betty of her prior obligation. "I'd better get back to work. I'm really glad you're here." They met in a long-awaited embrace that melted away two months of friction. It was still tentative and not as easy as the many they had shared in the past, but it felt like _home_ again. This effect she had on him was the strangest sensation. He still wasn't convinced his mother was right about his having feelings for her, but he was sure that she was what had been missing from his life lately.

"I'll, umm, call you later."

"Hey, if you want something to do, I _am_ looking for a new assistant."

"I'll submit my resume!" Daniel retorted as a joke, but the idea didn't seem completely ridiculous. It would give him something to do, but more importantly, it would give him the opportunity to spend more time to reconnect with Betty.


	4. Chapter 4

_AUTHOR'S NOTE: Ugh, that last chapter was painful. To be honest, I'm still not completely happy with it, but I just really wanted to move on. I don't know if you noticed that each chapter alternates points of view. That's kind of why the chapters aren't really that long. Sometimes I felt that the next thing that needed to be told was better told from the other person's perspective, so I'd end the chapter and switch. Hope that doesn't bother anyone too much. I can't even promise to do this consistently. It's just how I've been telling the story so far._

_Thanks for the reviews and compliments. I really enjoy feedback so please feel free to tell me – good or bad. :)_

_DISCLAIMER: Nope, I still don't own Ugly Betty!_

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><p>Betty rushed straightaway back to her flat as soon as work ended for the day. Her mind had been so flooded with excitement over Daniel's surprise appearance earlier she could hardly concentrate on her tasks. So much had surely happened for each of them that she was aching to talk and hear about. All her feelings and experiences had been dammed up without her dearest supporters around to share them with. Spending the evening with Daniel would likely open the floodgates… if he'd let her. She understood that fifteen minutes on the steps wasn't going to magically repair more than two months of accumulated resentment. They clearly still had things to work through.<p>

As much as she would love to pick up where they left off and just be buddy-buddy with him again, she knew they wouldn't be able to be the kind of friends they once were with so many questions looming. Why was he so angry with her for taking the job here in London? Yes, MODE had been good to her, but Daniel knew that wasn't her dream. Daniel knew what her passion was for. He knew from the beginning what she was working toward. And it wasn't like she was still his assistant when she left, so she hadn't left him high and dry. It just didn't make any sense for a friend as close and familiar as Daniel had been to be so upset at her for that long just because she followed her dream. Why would he punish her for two months for doing what he had _always _known she would do someday?

She found herself getting frustrated all over again thinking about it she had to force the thoughts aside and remind herself that Daniel had flown all the way across the Atlantic to make amends. They would work through it now that they had the time. She took a deep breath and let the anger fall from her mind. _See? That's what good friends do. They_ _try to rationalize and be understanding before passing judgment on the other. They don't dive off the deep end over something they don't agree with._

About a block away from her flat, she texted Daniel that she was almost home along with her address.

"GR8! PICK U UP IN ½ HR?" He texted back immediately.

"ROGER THAT!" Wait, did she seriously just text that? She shook her head in disapproval of her own choice of words then exited the cab quickly to get ready for their date… _dinner! _ She paused on the sidewalk for a brief moment to mull the idea over. Was this a _date?_ No, just a friendly dinner to catch up. Yes, of course.

"Did you forget something, Miss?" The cab driver called out to her when he noticed her stopped suddenly on the curbside.

Snapped from her brief reverie, she waved him off then turned to head into her building. When she got to her flat, she quickly peeled off her work clothes and searched through her closet for something to wear. She slipped on a blue floral sundress and studied herself in the mirror. "Ugh, too 'Sunday Brunch'!"

She then tried a pink sweater dress with a black belt. "Too frumpy!"

She rummaged through a few more then pulled out a royal purple wrap dress with a deep neckline. She knew that Daniel loved the color purple. It complimented her copper skin tone (although she had to admit, two months in a gloomy city had kind of drained her color a bit) and the dress hugged her curves just right. She caught herself developing these thoughts and felt embarrassed that she even worried about how she looked for _Daniel_ of all people. Not just how she looked, but if she looked _sexy!_ Two months of friendship blackout and Betty had already forgotten how to be herself around him.

She debated whether she should dress down a little more so as not to give him the wrong idea, but before she could make another selection, there was a knock at her door. She flipped her head over to fluff her hair, quickly swiped on some lip gloss, adjusted the "girls", and made one final check in the mirror. She rolled her eyes at the realization of what she had just done. "Seriously, Beatriz, get a grip! It's DANIEL!" she scolded her reflection. With that, she opened her door just as he was about to knock again.

"Hey, Daniel!" she tried to say casually.

Daniel gave her a quick but not too subtle once-over. "Wow, Betty, you look…"

"Overdressed? Yeah, you didn't say where we were eating, and I didn't want to be _under_dressed. Should I change?"

"Oh, no, no, no! You look fanta – _fine_." He diverted his compliment, afraid of seeming overly interested. "You look fine. I just thought you'd probably still be in your work clothes, that's all."

Betty blushed. She felt even sillier for having spent so much time and effort figuring out what to wear when Daniel has always been accepting of whatever she wore no matter how ridiculous it made her look. Okay, maybe the poncho not so much. "Well, I'm ready to go then. Shall we?"

"Roger that!" Daniel responded with a mischievous smirk. Betty just shook her head and locked her door, happy that they were chipping away at the built up tension.


	5. Chapter 5

_AUTHOR'S NOTE: I realize I hate writing dialogue. But it must be done. This chapter should be longer than the others, so happy reading!_

_Keep the reviews coming please! Thanks!_

_DISCLAIMER: __I do not own Ugly Betty, its characters, or any ideas, concepts, or names originating from the ABC show._

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><p>Daniel took Betty to The Promenade for dinner where Betty began to feel grateful she decided to dress up a bit.<p>

"Daniel, this place is so fancy. It's too much!" She whispered to him visibly uncomfortable.

"I know this isn't the kind of place you normally like going to, but I figured I owed you a REALLY big apology, and a greasy dinner in a booth at a pub probably wouldn't give it the same effect." He whispered back as he placed a cautious hand on her shoulder.

"Daniel, I'm not like all your other dates. You don't need to try and impress me."

"Other dates, huh? I didn't realize we were on a date," he teased knowing that that was exactly how he pictured this dinner, but not wanting to let on. She blushed like he had hoped she would. "But I suppose it wouldn't hurt to be a gentleman." Daniel stuck out his elbow for Betty to link onto, an invitation she easily accepted.

The first four courses were full of mostly small talk – Daniel telling Betty what everyone at MODE was up to, Betty telling Daniel everything they were doing for her magazine. As much as he secretly wished she would be miserable and regret coming to London, he couldn't help but be proud of everything she was accomplishing. He admired the sparkled she had in her eye when she talked about her new job and he regretted trying to make her feel guilty for it.

"…so it's been taking over my entire life pretty much. I don't know how you survived your first few months as Editor-in-Chief."

He took a moment to try and recall the beginning. "Well, I had a pretty amazing assistant helping me out, didn't I?"

"Yes, you did." Betty smiled at his compliment. "I wish I could find a pretty amazing assistant. At this point, I'd almost settle for 'mediocre assistant' just to have two more hands and feet!"

"Well, if the offer still stands, I'd like to apply for the position." Betty scrutinized him as if trying to figure out if he was serious or not.

"Har. Har. Funny. Why would you go from Editor-in-Chief to lowly assistant? And besides, what are your qualifications?"

Daniel held up both his hands and wiggled his fingers in front of her. "I have two feet too," he teased as he touched his foot to hers under the table. "And we both know the assistant is really the one running the show anyway," he added with eyebrows wagging.

"That is true. Are you serious about being my assistant?"

"Sure, why not? Think about it, I already know what the needs of an Editor-in-chief are, so you wouldn't have to give me explicit instructions all the time. I know _you_ like the back of my hand, so I already know how you take your coffee, how you like your files organized, or when you need extra help but are too stubborn to ask…" Daniel realized he might have sounded a little forward to Betty, but he really wanted to sell her on the idea. "Besides, we already have a great working relationship, right?"

"Mmm, I don't know about that. You might dramatically burn my files if I make a request you don't like," Betty took a playful jab at him. Daniel's face fell prompting her to quickly backpedal, "I'm kidding! Sorry, too soon?"

Daniel gave her a half smile embarrassed of his ridiculous behavior. "I guess I deserved that."

"No, you didn't. But come on, Daniel, you didn't quit your job and fly all the way to England to be someone's assistant. Don't you have other plans?"

The truth was he didn't have other plans. At least not yet. He hadn't quite thought it through that far. He packed his bags and hopped on a plane because he needed to make things right with her. And he had hoped the rest would fall into place once she was in his life again, but somehow, he found himself more confused than ever. He didn't have an answer to give her unless she wanted to hear him say his plans only included her. Betty must have noticed that Daniel was beginning to shut down and knew better than to push an obviously sensitive button.

"Well, I guess we could try it out – on a temporary basis, anyway. At least until I can find a suitable replacement." Daniel nodded timidly. "Daniel, I don't mean that I think you wouldn't make a great assistant. I just don't want _you_ to get stuck in a rut just to help me out. You are capable of far greater things than fetching my coffee and taking my phone calls. I want you to figure out your passion and pursue it."

Whether or not Betty meant to do it, her words cut right through him. The guilt over how he had tried to hold her back from the greatness she was capable of came rushing back. Betty was so selfless and motivating. How could have been such a jerk to make her feel bad for following her dreams? As the server interrupted his thoughts with a plate of chocolate soufflé, Daniel realized he still hadn't done what he had come here to do.

"Betty… I owe you a huge apology. I was being arrogant and childish and I never should have treated you the way I did before you left. You, too, are obviously capable of far greater things than working at a magazine that you weren't passionate about. I shouldn't have tried to keep you from or punish you for following your dreams. And I'm really sorry it took me so long to get over myself to come see you." Daniel finally let out a breath then held it again waiting for her reply.

"I'm sorry too. For how I handled the situation. I should have talked to you sooner."

"No, you have nothing to apologize for. You made a mistake, but your intentions were good. I was just being an ass."

"But why? I mean, I accept your apology and I completely forgive you, but _why _did you get so upset over it? That's what I couldn't figure out." Her expression was so innocent and unsuspecting.

After a prolonged pause, Daniel finally admitted, "I just couldn't imagine my life without you around." He wasn't sure how Betty would interpret that. Part of him was hoping she'd take it as a platonic statement. The other part was hoping she'd take it as a romantic declaration just so they could finally talk about it and make sense of it all. She knew him better than himself sometimes, so maybe her interpretation would be true to how he was really feeling? He waited for her response as if every question he had on his mind was weighing on what Betty was thinking.

"Daniel, I don't have to be around to be in your life. If you _ever_ needed a friend, I would just be a phone call, text, e-mail, or Skype call away. All that means is that I can't grab your morning bagel for you, but you hired another assistant for that." _Friend._ So Betty believes they are just good _friends._ Maybe she was right. She usually was. Maybe all he felt was a deep connection to his best friend.

After dinner, they decided to walk off a few calories while sightseeing through London. Betty's failed attempt at being a tour guide amused Daniel, but he chose to humor her since this was her new stomping ground.

"So that's Buckingham Palace where the Queen lives. Not to be confused with where I used to live in Queens," Betty joked.

"Ah, yes. And also not to be confused with Kensington Palace where Princess Diana used to live," Daniel responded. Betty looked at him puzzled and Daniel let out a snicker.

"What? Oh my gosh, is this not Buckingham Palace?" Betty's cheeks turned bright red. "Well, there you go. Now you know how little I get out. You probably know more about London than I do. How about we scrap the tour and just walk?"

The two walked arm in arm enjoying the crisp night air and the smell of fresh rain. As they passed a newsstand keeper restocking his shelves for the next morning, Betty stopped suddenly. "MODE! Daniel, your 100th Anniversary issue is out!" Daniel shrugged with indifference. "Oh, come on. I want to see how your last issue came out. Did you end up using my article on you?"

"Of course I did! I might have been upset at your leaving, but it was still a very good article written by an exceptional editor and friend." Betty convinced the clerk to sell her a copy before morning and leafed swiftly through the magazine until she found the story on Daniel Meade. She sat down on the nearby curb and patted the sidewalk next to her to invite Daniel to join her in rereading her own writing. As they read, they reminisced about some of the incidences Betty had mentioned in the article and laughed at their inside jokes. Daniel was elated to have her back in his life. He was even more grateful to have settled the question of having feelings for her, so he could just relax and enjoy her presence.

When she had finished reading the article, Daniel said, "You know I never told you how great I thought it was. You really did a fantastic job. And I'm not just saying that because it's about me."

"Well, I got a lot of practice writing your Letters from the Editor for you!" She laughed and punched him playfully on the shoulder. Daniel cringed as he remembered what Betty held in her hands was essentially a love letter to her. And before he could redirect her, Betty began flipping pages to find his Letter from the Editor, "Oh, I have to read what you wrote!"

Daniel made a quick grab, "NO!" Betty gaped at him dumbfounded. "I mean… umm…no, it's not any good. There's a reason I also had you write it for me."

"Daniel," Betty said as she grabbed the magazine back from him, "I've read your first drafts before. What's the big deal?" Daniel didn't know what else to say or do to stop Betty from reading it without making her any more suspicious when, like a stroke of fate, a car drove by, hitting a pothole, and splashing muddy water all over the two friends sitting on the curb.

They both jumped up half screaming and half laughing. Betty shook the water off the now soggy magazine then examined her own sodden state. Daniel began laughing hysterically.

"What are you laughing at? Your expensive suit is ruined!" she sulked bitterly.

"Oh, come on. You gotta admit that was hilarious!" But Daniel was more celebrating the fact that Betty wasn't able to read his Letter from the Editor. Seeing that she wasn't amused, Daniel removed his suit jacket and wrapped it around her shoulders and took the damp magazine off her hands. "Alright, why don't we go clean up at my hotel? It's only a couple blocks from here." He put his arm around her waist and led her down the street inconspicuously tossing the MODE issue in the nearby trashcan and relieved to have dodged that bullet… for now.


	6. Chapter 6

_AUTHOR'S NOTE: So I'm trying my best to be consistent about each person's point-of-view, but I broke my rules a couple times when I felt it necessary to switch angles real quick. This chapter started off from mostly Betty's POV, but there were points I thought we needed to see what Daniel sees. Anyway, I'm enjoying writing about these moments, so I hope you're enjoying reading them! _

_A lot of people were questioning the fact that Betty would still read the letter from the Editor eventually and that Daniel should be smart enough to know that. LOL Yes, don't worry, I'm aware of that. It's actually going to come up again. Plus, I think it's fun to watch Daniel freak out about it!_

_DISCLAIMER: __I do not own Ugly Betty, its characters, or any ideas, concepts, or names originating from the ABC show._

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><p>No matter how many times Daniel got sick or went on a trip, Betty never got used to the lavish hotel suites he stayed in. This one was no exception. There were ten-feet high ceilings adorned with grand crystal chandeliers, intricate wainscoting on every wall, lush cream carpeting on the floor, and ornate furnishings throughout. It was the epitome of opulence. Betty felt even filthier in contrast to the room in which she stood. She couldn't even budge from the foyer for fear of ruining the brilliance of it all. Meanwhile, Daniel cruised into the room in his cool and casual way completely unimpressed with his temporary home.<p>

"So, if you want to shower off, you can just toss your dress back out to me. I'll send it down to dry cleaning with my suit and it should be done in an hour or so." He read the hesitation on her face. "There's a 'hers' robe hanging in the bathroom." He assured her.

She went into the bathroom, stripped off her muddy dress, and dangled it out the door for Daniel to retrieve. He touched her hand as he took it from her and she felt a tingle of embarrassment that Daniel had touched her while she was naked on the other side of the door. When she took notice of the jetted marble tub, she gasped in awe. "Daniel! This tub is amazing!"

"Feel free to use it!" He called back. "I'm sure it'll feel nice after such a long, eventful day. Take your time!"

While Betty took a soothing bath, Daniel went to the bedroom to change out of his suit. He had just taken off his mud-speckled shirt and tie when a phone rang from the other room. It was Betty's cell phone. He picked it up and walked over to the bathroom door.

"Betty? Knock, knock!" He called through the door.

"Come in!" Betty was in such a relaxed state, it didn't even occur to her that this was an abnormal invitation.

Daniel cautiously opened the door being sure to keep his eyes respectfully aimed at the floor. "Umm, someone's calling on your cell."

"Oh, that's probably Hilda! She's probably just wondering what happened when I bumped into you. You might as well answer it."

Daniel leaned against the vanity and answered Betty's phone. "Hello? Betty's phone."

Betty listened in on the one sided conversation as she rested her head on the tub, relaxed under a cloud of bubbles.

"Who may I ask is calling?... _Ian?"_ Betty's eyes shot open and she threw her hand out to Daniel to signal him to hand her phone over. "Oh, I'm sorry, Ian. Betty's busy right now. Can she call you back later when she's a little more… clothed? Ok, you're welcome…bye." Daniel was completely amused by Betty's sudden change in behavior over this "Ian". Betty, however, was not amused in the slightest.

"You're a dead man, Meade." She promised him as he turned to leave her alone in the bathroom.

Betty finished up her bath and put on the robe Daniel told her about. When she came out into the bedroom, she found Daniel sitting shirtless on the edge of the bed with a scotch in one hand and her phone in the other. "What are you doing with my phone still?" She asked suspiciously reaching out to recover it.

"B – who the hell is answering phone and why are you naked with him?" Daniel recited Ian's text out loud.

"Daniel, give that back right now!" Betty attempted to grab it from Daniel, but he kept dangling away from her like a cat toy.

"What? I'm just practicing being your assistant – answering your calls, taking your messages…"

"That's not funny! I'm serious, give me my phone back or I'll fire you before you're hired!" Betty lunged for her phone and landed on top of Daniel. They wrestled playfully on the bed until Daniel noticed Betty's robe was coming untied and began revealing some skin beneath. She spotted his nervous glance and looked down to see what had caught his eye. She hurriedly pulled the robe shut and slid her phone in its pocket, leaving the room post-haste without another word.

When Daniel went to shower and Betty could hear the water running in the bathroom, she quickly called back Ian. What she didn't realize was that Daniel was grabbing a change of clothes from the bedroom and listening in on her phone call.

"Hi, Ian… oh, don't worry about him, he's just a friend from home. My old boss actually… No, he's just being a dork, don't mind him… I was just taking a bath, so he answered my phone for me. It's not a big deal… Can we talk about that later?...Yeah, I missed you too…" Daniel had heard enough. He tiptoed back into the bathroom to shower off the mud on his face and the sick feeling in his stomach.

Betty wasn't really sure what to do about what just happened. There was quite a bit of damage control involved. How would she explain to Daniel who Ian was? How would she explain to Ian who Daniel was and what she was doing with him that evening? How could she make their little "wrestling match" incident less awkward? She paced back and forth in the living room winding and unwinding the tie of her robe around her finger repeatedly when Daniel appeared clad in a robe that matched her own.

"Did _all_ your clothes get splashed in mud?" She jested nervously.

"No. I just didn't want you to feel underdressed, so I thought I'd wear my robe too. At least until your dress comes back from dry cleaning."

"Oh. Well, thank you. That was thoughtful, but if you're uncomfortable, you're more than welcome to put some clothes on."

"I'm okay… are _you_ uncomfortable with my wearing a robe? Would you prefer I changed?" Daniel offered.

Betty was feeling uneasy, but she didn't want to make an issue of it. "No, no, you can wear whatever you want."

It was awkwardly silent for a moment. Betty was secretly praying Daniel wouldn't ask about Ian, but she knew that was wishful thinking. Sure enough, Daniel broke the ice with, "So… are you going to tell me who this 'Ian' is that has you all excited? Boyfriend?"

"No, nothing like that. Just a few dates." She tried to downplay her relationship with Ian. Although they were nothing official, she had a difficult time admitting to Daniel they had been dating pretty exclusively.

"Is that right? You seemed pretty worked up about it when I answered the phone," Daniel continued to prod.

Betty knew Daniel was not going to let up until she explained, so it was futile to try to avoid the conversation. "We've been sporadically dating for several weeks now. It's sort of hard to find time for a social life right now. And I wouldn't call him my 'boyfriend', but yeah, it looks like it might turn into something. And since I know you're wondering – work. I met him at work. He's a freelance writer and he's contracted every so often to write for us or one of the other publications at Dunne. He's nice. It's nice to have a lot in common as far as our experiences growing up. And obviously, we're in the same career field, so it's been…"

"Nice. Right." Daniel interrupted. "So why didn't you mention anything about him all night?"

"I don't know. It never came up?" Betty was no good at lying, especially to Daniel, but she was sensing this topic wasn't quite on their friendship-reconnection discussion list yet.

"Betty, it's not like I would try to sabotage his job or anything," Daniel attempted to lighten the mood with a joke.

"No, of course not. You're not anybody's boss anymore," Betty bantered back smugly. Daniel jokingly grimaced and grabbed his groin area as a sign that Betty had made a low blow. Once they both started laughing, they mutually left that conversation there as the air was beginning to become thick with tension.

Since dry cleaning was taking longer than expected with their muddied clothes, Daniel ordered fruit and wine from room service and a pay-per-view movie while they waited. They had done enough talking for the night and neither wanted to further discuss the one topic that was at the front of both their minds.

* * *

><p>Daniel was awoken by a heavy knock on the door. He rubbed his eyes and looked at the glow of the cable box clock – 7:30 AM. 2:30 AM on his internal clock. He tried to stand up to open the door, but something was weighing him down. It took him a moment to realize Betty was there asleep on his lap. He shook her gently to wake her, then a little harder when he got no response.<p>

"Dry cleaning!" The voice called through the door.

"Betty! Betty! Your dress is ready! It's already morning!" Daniel yelled in a whisper into her ear. Betty shot up startled by her surroundings.

"Oh my gosh, what happened?"

"Nothing happened," Daniel assured her. "We just fell asleep watching a movie." Betty followed Daniel to the door where a gentleman in a grey suit and nametag stood toting two garment bags.

"Your dry cleaning, Sir," he announced as he handed Daniel the hangers.

"What took so long? Weren't these supposed to be ready last night?" Betty inquired with irritation.

The steward was taken aback by her forwardness. "Oh, I'm so sorry, Ma'am! There was no rush order pla – "

"Thank you! Have a good day!" Daniel interjected while closing the door in the steward's face. Betty eyed him suspiciously, but he caught her before she could say anything. "Well, I suppose we should get ready for work now that our clothes are here!"

"We?" She repeated quizzically.

"Betty, you are not hung over, you are just tired, so in about ten seconds, you are going to remember the conversation we had last night about me being your temporary assistant," he replied as he unzipped the garment bags and examined their clothing.

"Oh, right. Sorry. Then I should probably head back to my place and get ready for work."

"Nonsense. Your office is a ten minute walk from here. You have a clean dress to wear. Just get ready here." He handed Betty her newly cleaned and pressed purple dress. Daniel went to get himself ready for his first day at his new job. He was so fixated on working side by side with Betty once again, he hardly gave a thought to the challenge he was facing in a new position. He eagerly selected his best pinstripe suit, white shirt, and power blue tie.

"I hope it's alright with Mr. Dunne that I hired you. He might have wanted to have a say in choosing my assistant for me." Betty shouted from the bathroom.

"Really? You think so? Well, if wants to hire an assistant you won't sleep with, then it's too late for that. You already slept with your assistant last night!" Daniel teased back.

"Daniel!" Betty poked her head out the bathroom door to give him a dirty look.

"Okay, you slept _on_ your assistant last night." Betty rolled her eyes at him then redirected the conversation to the ensemble Daniel was wearing.

"Wow, it may be a first that an assistant wears a suit that costs more than his boss' quarterly salary!"

"Oh. Well, I don't really have anything less…flashy?" Daniel examined his outfit. "I suppose I can lose the cufflinks?"

Betty laughed. "Like Daddy Warbucks polishing his own floors. This is going to be _very_ interesting." Daniel winced at her metaphor. "Don't worry about it. You'll be fine. It's a lot different from working at MODE, that's for sure. The people at _Reflect_ are unpretentious, so they won't care what you're wearing."

Daniel breathed a sigh of relief as he placed his cufflinks back in their box. "Sorry, I guess just wanted to impress my new boss!"

"Can I just say how _weird_ this whole role-reversal is?"

"Yes, it's a little weird, but don't be afraid to order me around. I'm here to help you, okay?"

Betty nodded.

"Hey, would you mind if I borrowed your laptop for a minute? I should probably let Mr. Dunne and HR know you'll be coming in today." Betty asked. Daniel nodded and pointed to a secretary desk near the window. She opened his laptop then hesitated a moment, staring blankly at the screen.

"Is it locked? My password is the same as always. If you remember, that is," he informed her.

"Umm, yeah. Mmmhmm…" Daniel left her to her work wondering what suddenly got her so distracted.


	7. Chapter 7

_AUTHOR'S NOTE: I knew I wouldn't be able to keep up with the whole switching POV chapter-by-chapter. I didn't want to keep stringing you all along with these short snippets. As much as I want to have these fun moments in the office place, it's pretty tough creating a believable setting when you don't really know what their jobs entail. I gotta research things as I go along, so updates will start getting a little further apart! Sorry! _

_Hope you enjoy! R&R please!_

_DISCLAIMER: __I do not own Ugly Betty, its characters, or any ideas, concepts, or names originating from the ABC show._

* * *

><p>Betty marched up to the receptionist's desk at the magazine office. Charlotte looked up at her with both fear and exasperation in her eyes for what Betty was potentially going to ask her to do.<p>

"Charlotte, I have ONE more task I need you to do, but I promise it will be worth it," Betty said in her sweetest voice.

"There better be chocolate involved." Charlotte snapped back.

"That can be arranged," Betty responded then added under her breath, "_Someone_ needs her endorphins this morning." Daniel walked up behind Betty carrying her coffee and a pastry bag.

"Splash of cream, two sugars, and a whole lot of Splenda – just the way you like it. And they were out of apple danishes, so I got you an apple scone instead." Daniel smiled like a puppy waiting for a Milkbone pleased with his first completed mission.

"Charlotte, I'd like you to meet my new assistant, Daniel Meade. Daniel, this is the receptionist, Charlotte." Charlotte gaped at Daniel, mesmerized by his sapphire eyes.

"Nice to meet you, Charlotte," Daniel casually greeted her with his hand held out to shake hers.

"Pleasure's all mine."

After witnessing Charlotte's shameless drool session, Betty cleared her throat loudly. "Okay, well, I just need you to give Daniel a brief orientation around the office, how to use the phone systems, yadda yadda… then you will officially be off the hook! Yay!" She pumped her arms sarcastically.

Betty returned to her office and dove immediately into the stack of projects that awaited her. She could hear their voices outside her glass doors – Daniel's low, masculine voice staggered by Charlotte's shrill, flirtatious laughter. Betty watched Charlotte turn on her best mating ritual and Daniel surprisingly focused on getting acquainted with the office. She was shocked and somewhat impressed at the restraint he possessed that was very much out of character for the Daniel she knew. Charlotte, however, was so pathetic in her attempt to flirt with Daniel that Betty was beginning to wonder if she made the right decision having her familiarize Daniel with the office.

Daniel returned about a half hour later carrying a small file of papers. "Okay, so I got a copy of your master calendar from Charlotte, and I already have what you need ready for this afternoon's meeting."

"Wow, Daniel, I'm impressed!" Betty praised leaning back into her chair.

"Well, I just wanted to make sure I got a head start. I know you have a lot to do besides taking the extra time to tell me how to help you."

"I wasn't referring to the calendar, Daniel, but thanks for that."

"Then what are you impressed with?" Daniel asked with his head cocked in confusion.

"Oh come on! Like you didn't notice!" Betty paused for Daniel to catch on to her meaning. When he showed no sign of recognition, she continued, "She's blonde, leggy, answers phones for a living, what more could you want?"

Finally realizing what Betty was hinting at and a little offended by her assumption of him, Daniel retorted, "Funny, I always thought your type was more 'tall, dark, and awkward' but if this is all part of the 'New Betty', I can deal with that."

"Oh, shut up and give me my files!" she conceded.

* * *

><p>Daniel's first day as Betty's assistant was fairly mellow. Not for the fact that Betty wasn't extremely busy. She was just, as she put it, "Giving Daniel time to acclimate himself." Although Daniel was certain she simply wasn't ready to ask him for help just yet. He was straightening out his desk over and over trying to avoid eye contact with Charlotte and her suspicious glances his way when Betty poked her head out of her office to let Daniel know she would be in a conference call for the next half hour and to hold any other incoming calls.<p>

"Will do, Boss! Anything else I can do for you?" He asked overenthusiastically.

" No, no. Just answer the phones and take down any messages. I won't be long." Daniel went back to busying himself with the strategic placement of Post-it notes and Scotch tape.

A short while later, as Daniel finished choosing a desktop wallpaper of Derek Jeter making a diving catch, Mr. Dunne approached his desk.

"Hello there! I thought I would come by and introduce myself to my newest employee. I'm Lindsey Dunne." He held out his hand which Daniel promptly stood up to shake.

"Pleased to meet you, Mr. Dunne. Daniel Meade." Daniel nervously cleared his throat.

"Daniel _Meade?_ Is this the same Meade as Meade Publications?"

"Yes, we are one and the same, Sir."

"Oh. What brings you here to London… as Betty's assistant?" Mr. Dunne prodded.

"Just needed a change of climate. And to help out a friend that has always been there for me." Daniel answered beginning to get uncomfortable with the inquisition.

"She must be a very good friend then. Welcome aboard, Daniel!" Mr. Dunne began walking away then turned back. "Oh! I forgot to give this to you. I receive copies of many different publications. I thought Betty might appreciate a copy of MODE to remember her days there. Please pass this along to her." Daniel nervously took the magazine from Mr. Dunne and clutched it tightly to his chest. When Mr. Dunne was out of sight and Betty was visibly engrossed her in conference call, Daniel covertly slipped the magazine into his laptop bag. He knew he wouldn't be able to keep Betty from reading it for long, but until he had a plan for what to say to her and how to say it, he would try his best to keep this from happening. It would end up being a premature conversation that would unnecessarily put their friendship in jeopardy when Daniel wasn't even certain of what he felt towards her.

A beeping phone line cut into his thoughts. "Daniel Meade… I mean, Betty Suarez's office. This is Daniel…. I'm sorry, Miss Suarez is on a conference call at the moment. May I take a message? Okay, reschedule photo shoot to Thursday at 2." Daniel repeated back as he cross-referenced the calendar he had procured earlier to check for any conflicts. "Yes, I will pass that message along to Miss Suarez." Daniel studied and shifted a few color-coded Post-its around her calendar.

"Thank you, Daniel!" Daniel jumped, startled by Betty's voice. "Any messages?"

"Oh, yes. John Mason called to reschedule the cover photo shoot to Thursday at 2 PM. There didn't appear to be any scheduling conflicts with that, but since that frees up your Tuesday noon slot, I moved up your Editorials meeting from 5 PM to 11 AM so you have a little more time without pushing everyone into overtime."

Betty beamed at Daniel. "Thank you. That was really great. I'm loving your initiative!"

"I told you I knew what I was doing. I learned from the best, you know."

"Oh! I saw Mr. Dunne speaking with you. Did he have something for me?" Betty asked, sifting through some mail.

"No, no. He just…umm… wanted to introduce himself to me," Daniel half lied eying his mocking laptop bag.

"Okay, well I have tons of things to get back to. You know how it is!"

"Betty, is there anything_ I_ can do? I've already gotten everything on my desk as close to 90° angles as I could without a protractor. I'm not just here to be a pretty face, you know."

"Aww, but you do that so well!" Daniel rested his chin on his hands and fluttered his lashes playfully. "Sorry, I haven't really had time to organize everything so I can pass it on just yet. But can you please do yourself a favor and find a more permanent place to live? As much as I love your fabulous tub, I know I don't pay you enough to keep you in in a 5-star hotel every day."

"Permanent, hmm? So you plan on keeping me around?" Daniel ribbed. Betty appeared to be blush before she turned back toward her office.

Daniel opened up a web browser on the work computer and tried out _Homes For Sale_ website. Before he realized he missed typing the 'm' in "homes", numerous pop up screens with nude, and nearly nude, voluptuous women plagued his screen. In a panic, he made his best attempt to close each window, but others continued to pop up in their place. Sara, from accounting, was making her way to Betty's office, so Daniel grabbed the nearest sheet of paper he could find and taped it to the front of the screen. She looked at him as if he were an alien from outers pace, but simply handed him the copies of the expense report.

"Would you please give this to Miss Suarez?" She asked with eyebrows raised.

"Yes, I will take care of that." Daniel held his breath hoping Sara would leave without further incidence. She walked away mouthing a slow and dramatic, "Ohhh…kaaaayyy." As Sara was walking away, Daniel yanked the paper off the screen and made a second attempt to close each provocative window.

"Hey, Daniel, have you seen my – BREASTS! Oh my gosh, Daniel, what are you looking at?" Betty exclaimed as she shielded her eyes from the images covering Daniel's computer screen.

"I think you pretty much summed it up!" He shouted back in a panic. "I accidentally typed _HOES_forsale-dot-com instead of _homes_forsale-dot-com and now I can't get rid of them! Oh gosh, I hope my computer doesn't get a virus from all this."

"I'd be a little more concerned about getting an STD from all that. Ugh!" Betty grimaced.

Daniel frantically clicked every 'x' box he could until the Derek Jeter wallpaper finally reemerged from amidst the obscenity. Daniel fell back into his desk chair allowing his color to return to his face and his heart rate to return to normal. His moment of recovery was interrupted by the sounds of snickering around the office. He looked up to find several pairs of eyes looking in his directions accompanied by fits of laughter.

"Okay, folks, show's over! It was just an accident! Daniel's not a pervert!" Betty came to his rescue. She ducked into her office and came out with the real estate section of the newspaper. "Here, try this instead. Might be a little less promiscuous."


	8. Chapter 8

_AUTHOR'S NOTE: This is tougher than I thought! I'm getting all these ideas for where I want this story to go, but I'm trying very hard not rush this story. By the way, I just wanted to note that Betty's "friend" is named Ian after my baby boy. Just wanted to throw that in there. :)_

_DISCLAIMER: __I do not own Ugly Betty, its characters, or any ideas, concepts, or names originating from the ABC show._

* * *

><p>The rest of the work day went by too quickly. Betty hated taking work home, but she was determined to leave the office on time and take Daniel to Happy Hour in celebration of his first day. Betty packed her computer and file folder into her bag and called Daniel into her office.<p>

"Wrapping up? Any last requests?" Daniel inquired.

"Yes, just one – join me for a drink to commemorate your first day?" They shared a smile and headed out of the office together.

Their quiet walk to the nearby pub was uncharacteristic for the two friends who usually had a number of things to discuss ranging from work tasks to family updates and everything in between. They rarely kept secrets from one another, but tonight Daniel seemed lost in some mysterious, far away thought and Betty was fighting the urge to ask him about what she had seen on his computer that morning. His melancholy behavior only magnified her suspicions. Unable to keep up the charade, Betty finally turned to Daniel and said, "Hey, can I ask you something?"

"Hmm?" Daniel responded still a little lost in his thoughts.

"So this morning when I borrowed your computer, I happened to see something that maybe I shouldn't have…" Betty prefaced. A million ideas swirled through the database of Daniel's mind as he tried to grasp what possible thing Betty could have caught on his computer. "It was an e-mail between you and your mom." She noticed a hint of cowardice in his face as she said this.

"Okay… did you read it?"

"I didn't mean to. It was just there on your screen when I opened your laptop. She asked you if you had told me something yet. And you had replied that you were waiting for the right time?" Betty searched his face for a reaction. It was stone cold for a brief moment before he relaxed with a soft chuckle.

"Oh, no, she was just referring to my quitting MODE. But we've obviously already talked about that." Daniel stammered.

"So that's all it was?" Betty asked with skepticism.

"Yeah. That's it." She didn't know why she was feeling disappointed when she should have been relieved that Daniel wasn't keeping something bigger from her. Or maybe it was because she couldn't shake the notion that perhaps he still was. She had been pondering that e-mail all day, waiting for the right time to ask him about it. Betty was partly hoping he would open up to her about whatever was clearly plaguing his thoughts. She had a gnawing feeling that Daniel was guarding something. In fact, had this been a few months ago in New York, she would have felt confident enough in their relationship to corner him into divulging, but since she left, their friendship felt too delicate for such boldness.

Daniel opened the door to the pub for Betty and they grabbed a seat in an empty booth. Daniel ordered a scotch for himself, a wine for Betty, and a basket of fish and chips to share. Even though happy hour was only halfway through, the sounds of drunken karaoke already filled the room. Betty raised her glass of wine, "A toast to your first day on the job and many more together!" They tapped glasses and sipped their drinks as they exchanged mutually fond glances at one another. "Drink up, Yankee, 'cause you're singing karaoke with me in a bit!"

Daniel buried his face in his hands, shaking his head.

"Oh, come on, Sonny, you loved it last time," Betty egged him on.

A couple drinks later, they found themselves on stage, microphones in hand. "Babe, I got you babe!" They slurred in unison. Betty whipped her hair one side at a time doing her best Cher impression. Daniel laughed in time to the music and they sang the rest of the song looking deeply into one another's glassy eyes. The bar patrons applauded their performance as Daniel and Betty weaved their way back to their booth to find an unexpected visitor occupying their seat.

"Ian!" Betty exclaimed. She took a moment to get over the shock and awkwardness before she kissed him gingerly on the cheek and slid onto the bench beside him. Daniel hesitantly sunk into the seat across from the couple, his expression visibly deflated. Betty nervously looked back and forth between the two men in her company. "What are you doing here?"

"When you texted me to say you were going here for drinks with a colleague, I thought I'd come by and see you. You seemed to be pretty busy lately, we've hardly had any time together." Ian glanced at Daniel. "You must be the 'colleague', I presume?"

"Ian, this is Daniel, my old boss from MODE... and my new assistant at _Reflect."_ Betty reluctantly introduced him. "Daniel, this is my friend, Ian." Ian shot an indignant look at Betty when she said the word "friend."

Ian turned his attention to the man sitting across the table. "So, Danny-boy, you're the one that Betty's been hanging with two nights in a row, hmm? One of these days you'll have to tell me your secret to freeing up her calendar." There was a tense moment where no one said another word.

"I'm going to order another round of drinks. Ian, can I get you something?" Daniel offered, seeking refuge from the friction that was brewing at their table.

"A beer would be fine." Ian requested, clearly eager to get rid of Daniel.

"Betty?"

"No, nothing for me, thanks." As soon as Daniel was out of earshot, Betty turned to Ian. "What was _that_ about?"

"What?" Ian played ignorant.

"Don't play dumb. Why are you being so hostile? You just met Daniel. You don't have to be so snarky."

"Betty, every time I've asked to spend time with you lately, you've always been too busy with work. I've been more than understanding, but how is it that this _Daniel _comes to town and you drop everything to gallivant around town with him?" Ian fumed.

"Okay, first of all, we're not 'gallivanting.' Second of all, you have no idea what kind of history Daniel and I have!" Betty defended, not realizing the implication she was making.

Ian leaned away from Betty, evidently taken aback by her last revelation. "Here I thought he was just your old boss, but now you're telling me there's a _history _between you two?"

"Not like _that._ He's my best friend too. We just had a major fallout before I left New York and hadn't spoken since I came here. He came all the way to London to make amends, so I kind of owe it to him to give our friendship another chance, don't you think?"

Ian took a deep breath to calm down. "Well, if Daniel was that important to you, why have you never told me about him? We've talked about your family, your neighborhood growing up, your first job in New York. You've only ever referred to him as your 'boss.' If he was your best friend, don't you think you should have mentioned that sometime in the past six weeks?"

Before Betty could answer, Daniel returned with the drinks. She let out a sigh of relief and gave Daniel a secret look of gratitude for his timing. As if understanding that the evening was no longer salvageable, Daniel downed his drink in one gulp, slammed the glass on the table, and feigned exhaustion.

"Well, I'm tuckered out. I should head back to my hotel," he announced.

Ian, in turn, gulped his beer in a single breath and wiped his mouth with the inside of his sleeve, keeping his eyes locked on Daniel's.

"Okay, well, before this turns into a full-on pissing contest, we'd better head out too. Ian, can you grab my things?" Betty concluded. Ian picked up her purse and laptop bag and escorted Betty outside.

* * *

><p>Back at his hotel suite, Daniel decided to check his computer to make sure there was nothing else incriminating left open that Betty could have seen. He unzipped his laptop bag and made a shocking discovery – he had taken Betty's laptop bag instead! Which immediately gave him the sick realization that, not only did Betty have access to his computer, but the copy of MODE he was hiding in there. His face burned with panic and his heart pounded out of his chest as he reached for his phone to call Betty, praying she hadn't yet made the discovery herself. It rang several times before going to voicemail. He tried again. Same thing. Not wanting to waste any more time, made a mad dash outside to catch a cab to her flat.<p>

He arrived at her door short of breath. His fist just inches from the door wanting to knock fervently, hoping he had made it in time. Unsure of what possibilities awaited him on the other side, he paused to composed himself then rapped timidly on the wooden barrier between him and what could be. The door swung up revealing Betty in cupcake pajama pants and a well-fitted t-shirt. It took Daniel a brief moment to catch his breath and remember why he was there.

"Daniel." She said sympathetically. "I'm glad you're here. We need to talk."


	9. Chapter 9

_AUTHOR'S NOTE: I tried to make it a point to be at least two chapters ahead of any published updates in case I need to go back and make changes to fit the direction this is going, but the chapters are getting a lot longer and I'm getting impatient to update! _

_Does anyone feel like maybe the revelation of "feelings" is a little one sided? I think maybe I'm focusing a lot on Daniel's feelings and not enough on Betty. Hmm… maybe I need to work on that._

_DISCLAIMER: __I do not own Ugly Betty, its characters, or any ideas, concepts, or names originating from the ABC show._

* * *

><p>He could feel his temperature rising. He grasped for his collar, nervously loosening his tie. Swallowing became difficult. His mind went completely blank as he searched for something to say. Something clever and witty to explain away the letter he wrote. Some way he could spin it so she wouldn't think it was about her. Or maybe he just needed to find the courage deep within him to say those three words.<p>

"We…switched…laptops," Daniel managed between breaths. He handed Betty her bag, stalling for some time to come up with just the right words to say.

"Thank you, Daniel, you're a lifesaver! Why didn't you just call me?" She said as she took her bag.

"I did. Several times. It just went to voicemail." He felt a little guilty that it was his own life he was trying to save.

"I must have left it on silent from the office." Betty shrugged and gestured for him to come in. Daniel's eyes scanned the room behind her. "Don't worry, Ian just left," Betty said knowingly.

"Oh. Umm, no, I was just wondering… do you have my computer bag?" Daniel was still fishing for any indication if for certain Betty had a chance to open it or not.

She turned to retrieve it from the living room, her fading voice soothing Daniel's concerns, "Yeah, I didn't even realize it wasn't mine!" She returned with the bag of contraband. "Ian kind of kept me from getting any work done."

Daniel clutched his bag with relief. "So… that's Ian, huh?"

"Yeah, that's what I wanted to talk to you about. I'm so sorry about earlier. I don't know why he was acting so jealous. He's really not that…"

"Douchey?" Daniel offered.

"I wasn't going to say _that_, but yeah. I know it's hard to believe, but he really is a great guy. Well, you shouldn't have to worry about getting anymore attitude from him. We talked and I made it clear to him that you and I are just friends." There is was again. Those two words were like a double-edged knife.

"It's alright. I guess I'd feel a little insecure too if I thought someone else was threatening my relationship with you."

Betty gave him a puzzled look before bidding him goodnight and shutting the door on an emotionally charged evening. Daniel rested his forehead on her door knowing he was running out of time before his Letter from the Editor would be made light.

* * *

><p>Daniel stood there befuddled by all the buttons, lights, and compartments. He became convinced that office assistants, brain surgeons, and rocket scientists shared similar IQ levels. He knew he should probably just go ask someone for help, but he was certain they would make a crack about how he had so much experience and couldn't even handle a Xerox machine. If not to his face, they surely would talk amongst themselves in the break room. Daniel was determined he would conquer this task on his own.<p>

After extensive examination, he identified an icon that must have indicated a place to feed papers. Daniel placed the original copy of the photo release form in the feeder, print side up, punched 5 and 0 on the number pad, then took a safe guess that the big green button was to start the copies. Lights moved and glowed, churning sounds emanated from within the metal beast. He walked around the copy machine trying to find the exit for the fifty copies he presumed to have made. He eventually found a crevice in the middle where papers were spitting out one at a time. Blanks.

"What the - ?" Daniel studies the control panel again, scratching his head unsure of what buttons he actually pressed before placing the original form back in the feeder, print side down, ordering fifty copies, and hitting the start button for the second time. The copy machine glowed and churned once again. Daniel reached in to retrieve the second set of papers he was fairly certain – rather, hopeful –he had gotten correct. What he found instead was a set of flyers for the office pizza party on astro bright pink paper and hot off the press.

"Stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid!" He kicked the copy machine in frustration. Stephen, a sub-editor, came into the copy room just in time to catch Daniel grabbing his stubbed toe. "Who designed these things? It would be so much simpler to have a box full of trained hamsters transcribing your originals." Daniel griped hoping to get at least a nod of agreement from the young man gawking at him. Earning no sympathy, Daniel fled the room. He stepped back into the copy room to take an indignant jab at the innocent bystander. "And I'm not giving you an invitation to the office pizza party either!" Daniel made sure to slam the door on his second dramatic exit.

* * *

><p>"We're meeting in the conference room in 10 minutes to pare down the contents of our very first issue. Kind of exciting how close it's getting!" Betty informed Daniel with a subtle squeal.<p>

"Shouldn't you guys have already decided that a long time ago? You're just a few weeks from publishing." Daniel struggled to keep pace with this perky and determined woman despite his one foot height advantage.

"Yes, we pitched ideas a while back and chose what we liked, but Mr. Dunne wants to keep the magazine a little smaller at first until he knows how it does. Plus, now that some of the content is ready, we just want to make sure it all gels together. It's not like any other issue. This really needs to pop and catch people's attention and yet still say 'This is just the beginning'." Betty gestured as if her words were big, imaginary signs and marquees lining their pathway. As Daniel strode along beside her, he clumsily dodged her flailing arms. "Sorry. I'm a little over-enthusiastic."

He smiled admiringly at her. "No, don't apologize. You have every right to be over-enthusiastic. This is your moment. You should shine. I'm really proud of you, you know that? I think it's awesome that you get to start as an Editor-in-Chief and actually _know_ what you're doing. You amaze me."

Betty tried not to let his words melt her, but she couldn't contain her kilowatt smile. "Aww, your first pep talk! You're pretty good at that_, _but you give me far too much credit." She grabbed Daniel's hand to stop their walk. "Don't tell anybody this, but I really don't know what I'm doing. Shhh!" She pretended to say under her breath. They let their hands and their gaze linger for a brief moment before they resumed their amble to the conference room.

As they continued toward the conference room, Daniel handed Betty the stack of copies that had been haunting him all morning. "Here are the photo release forms you wanted me to make copies of. Also, here is a message from Aaron Brandt at Dove. I spoke with him about including a discounted subscription offer with some of their products in exchange for a free spread in _Reflect._ He wants to speak with you, but he sounded like he might be interested."

"Wow, Daniel, that's a great idea! Subscriptions to our magazine guarantee future sales!" Betty rifled through the papers Daniel had handed to her. She caught sight of a small strip of yellow paper sticking out of the stack of copies. Betty pulled it out to look at it assuming it was another message on a Post-it note. "Umm, Copy Depot? Daniel, you do know we have our own copy room, don't you?" She eyed him from the top of her glasses holding out the receipt Daniel overlooked.

Daniel's face turned beet red and he pursed his lips in attempt to avoid the question. "Okay! I didn't know how to use the copy machine! First time I tried, they came out blank and the second time, _these_ came out!" He handed her the pink pizza party flyers. "I don't even know where that came from! How a copy machine even makes copies of something that doesn't exist is beyond me! You guys need to have that thing serviced. I'm sure it's broken."

Betty, taken aback by his sudden outburst over something as trivial as a copy machine, tried her best to stifle her laughter. "You don't think it's 'user error'?"

"You have to be in Mensa to operate that stupid machine!" Daniel continued to sulk.

Betty could not help her laughter anymore. She didn't know why she was so endeared by his defensiveness. "Daniel, it's okay! You don't have to get your panties in a twist over it. Why didn't you just ask someone for help? You didn't have to go all the way to Copy Depot and pay extra money for a few copies."

"I just want to be a great assistant. I don't want to need you to hold my hand through every minuscule task."

"I will _gladly_ hold your hand if you need help. I've been in your shoes before." Betty took his hand and gave it a squeeze to show Daniel she was sincere. Daniel held open the door to the conference room, leading her in by the hand she had tightly affixed to his. "Thank you, everyone, for coming on time." Betty's voice caught in her throat as she discovered a pair of unexpected eyes glaring at them from across the table. Having forgotten that Ian would be attending this meeting, she immediately dropped Daniel's hand and the collection of files, copies, and notes she had carried in. Betty, Daniel, and a couple nearby staff members scrambled to the floor to retrieve the tousled papers.

"Thank you. Thank you. I'm sorry. Just a sec, everyone!" Betty said at random, her composure noticeably unraveled. Once she had her files and her mind gathered back together, she commenced the important meeting. The editors quickly dove into the process of weeding out any items that had initially seemed like a great idea but fizzled in execution. A few articles were requested to be trimmed down to fit the 45 pages of actual content they were allotted. Daniel eagerly kept notes of all the suggested changes on his yellow legal pad. About a half hour into the process, Katherine, from Editorials, spoke up.

"I don't think we should use the feature article on Petra Nemkova's tsumani relief work for this issue." Betty immediately shied away from the suggestion knowing that she might seem partial.

Ian made his first input of the day, "What do you mean you don't want to use it? It's already written. I've worked very hard to get an interview with her. It's perfect." Daniel kept his face down, staring intently at his notes so as not to show the bit of pleasure he derived from Ian's irritation with someone other than himself.

"I'm not saying that it's not a good or useful article. I'm simply suggesting that we not use it for the _first_ issue. Everything else in this issue has that essence of 'newness'…" Katherine rebutted.

"No, I agree with Katherine. The feature story in this first issue should be something more fresh. Inaugural, even," another editor piped in. Ian was getting visibly irate. Betty knew that, as a professional, Ian should have been used to this type of trimming process, but his attitude was not entirely based on having his story possibly postponed. She looked at him with eyes pleading for understanding which Ian chose to ignore. Betty looked down at Daniel who was tapping his legal pad impatiently waiting for a decision he could record when it dawned on her that Ian's petulance arose from Daniel's presence.

"Ian, I've read your feature and it's truly fantastic. I will definitely make room for it on the sophomore issue, but I think these ladies make a valid point." Betty finally stepped in hoping the compromise would assuage him. This wasn't the time or place for him to have another ego trip and his insolence was doing nothing to convince Daniel he was truly a good guy. It dawned on her that she wanted – actually, _needed – _Daniel's approval of Ian. She was feeling caught between these two important men in her life, socially and professionally.

Ian shrugged and slumped down into his chair. "Then how will you fill those four pages of content you removed? What new and fresh story will you replace it with?" His voice was less defiant and more defeated at that point. Betty's mouth moved, but she had not solution. She searched the room for any other input. The room was quiet and uncomfortable.

"Starting anew." Daniel's voice cracked timidly. All eyes shifted to the assistant behind the yellow notepad.

"What was that, Daniel? Did you have a suggestion?" Betty asked nervously knowing that Ian's ego would take an enormous hit if Daniel offered an idea that replaced his.

Daniel cleared his throat and sat up straight in his chair. "Yeah, uh, what about 'starting anew'? A story about someone starting over in life? Post-divorce or tragedy. Maybe a new job or new locale… or maybe both? I think we all know someone in this very room that would be a perfect fit to write about her experiences. A certain Editor-in-chief?" The room broke out in a low hum of excited discussion.

"Oh, Daniel, I don't know if I'm the best subject to do a full feature on," Betty said doubtfully, partly out of humility and partly out of guilt for potentially replacing Ian's story with her own.

"Betty, that would be perfect!" Katherine chimed. "It's exactly the 'fresh start' story this issue needs! And what better person to feature than the founding Editor-in-chief herself!"

Betty was beginning to blush as she avoided making any eye contact with a particular man across the room. "I don't think my story could even fill a four page spread."

"I know! Daniel can write it with you! He's starting anew also, right? New job, new locale. And since you're both coming from the same place, it would be an interesting to see both of your perspectives." Katherine was obviously feeling quite proud of her latest suggestion if her bright expression was any indication.

Daniel was stunned by the direction his original suggestion was being taken. He and Betty shared bewildered expressions with one another as the current of (almost) unanimous excitement swept them into the assignment together. There was one member of the room whose countenance was crushed and disheartened. Even Daniel couldn't help but feel a bit sorry for Ian. He was certain that Betty's story would be precisely the right spirit for the inaugural issue, but including him in it was more than Ian could surely take. Daniel attempted to backpedal out of the situation.

"I think Betty could carry the torch all by herself. She's stepping out into the world as the head honcho, after all. I'm just an assistant. No one needs to hear my story."

"But starting over for one could be a big leap and for another, a blank slate. People want to know what both are like." Meredith assured him.

"I agree." Everyone stopped and turned to face the new voice standing in the doorway. Mr. Dunne was leaning casually against the doorframe with a pensive but friendly expression on his face. "I've been listening to this new idea that has been tossed around and I love it! Betty, Daniel, can you have that story ready to go by Friday? And why don't you go ahead and schedule the cover shoot for the two of you?" Mr. Dunne turned to leave.

"Cover shoot? Mr. Dunne, you want Daniel and me on the _cover?"_

"Of course, dear. It's perfectly normal to be featured on the cover of your own magazine. Oprah does it all the time!"

"I – " Betty never got another word in edgewise before Mr. Dunne was out of sight. She gave Daniel a look of hesitation. Her eyes apologized for getting him involved. Daniel simply shrugged and flashed his half smile.

"Umm, ok, well, I guess we can just adjourn this meeting for today. We made some great progress, so now Daniel and I will get to work on this story. If it's dull, you can all blame yourselves for orchestrating it." Everyone collected their belongings and filed out the door.

Betty stopped Ian before he was out the door and invited him to talk her in her office. Daniel followed a comfortable distance behind them and waited until Ian and Betty were inside her office with the door shut before he took his seat at his desk. He took out the notes he wrote and began typing them into an e-mail to send out to all the editors. He was straining to listen in on their conversation, but alas there was no shouting, no outbursts, just the quiet hum of their low voices through the glass. He caught their reflection in the chrome pencil holder on his desk in time to watch Betty reach out to hold Ian's hand. He closed his eyes remembering what her touch felt like on his own hand.

* * *

><p>"Ian, I'm really sorry about your story getting bumped. It wasn't my idea, but you have to admit, they made some good points about the first issue." Betty pleaded with Ian who had gone from arrogant to deflated.<p>

"No, it's alright. You all made sense. It was just a little emasculating to have my story revoked in front of Daniel and the rest of the staff." Ian said quietly.

"What does Daniel have to do with it? It wasn't his idea to take out your story either. Sweetie, you need to get over this whole alpha-male rivalry you have going with him. I don't get it. You two aren't in direct competition for anything. Why are you so threatened by him?" Betty had a clue why Ian was insecure about Daniel and she felt guilty for making Ian feel like it was all in his head, but she was trying to convince herself as much as she was him.

"I'm not _threatened _by him. I just see how he has this easy way with you. He's known you for so long and so well that he's privy to things I still can't crack. I just feel like you don't let me in, but he's already there. I can see the looks you two exchange like you have this secret language between you two." Ian's face fell which prompted Betty to take his hand. She was arguably the world's worst liar, so it was useless to come up with false pleasantries to make him feel better. She knew what he said was true. She didn't want to make any reassuring promises that would compromise her relationship with Daniel. Instead, she deflected from his allegation with other words of comfort.

"You know, the good thing about your story getting put off is that your contract isn't up yet. And you know what that means?" She wagged her eyebrows at him.

"More time here with you?" Ian's face lit up for the first time that day and he leaned in for a surrendering kiss.


	10. Chapter 10

_AUTHOR'S NOTE: G'ahhh! I had the rest of this story outlined and I was doing well following it, but then I started to see gaps and, in trying to find creative ways to fill them, the story grew a few more chapters! I want to get to the end already! Ok, vent over. Thanks. :P _

_DISCLAIMER: __I do not own Ugly Betty, its characters, or any ideas, concepts, or names originating from the ABC show._

* * *

><p>"So were you ever planning on calling me back?" The voice greeted a half-sleeping Betty from the phone that teetered haphazardly on her cheek. Betty hadn't even opened her eyes or bothered to wipe the drool from her chin.<p>

"Hilda, what time is it?" Betty managed to ask, her words muffled by her pillow.

"Well, it's 7:30 here. I just finished up my last client a little while ago! Betty, Bobby said you were going to call me back after you saw _Daniel?"_ Hilda's harsh voice finally forced Betty out of her sleep.

"I'm sorry, Hilda. I've just been so busy the past few days." Betty said apologetically.

"Mmm-hmm. Busy with _Daniel?"_ Hilda teased.

"Well, yes… wait, what? What's _that_ supposed to mean?" It took Betty a moment to realize the implication Hilda was making, but once she did, she was eager to defend herself. Hilda simply laughed at her sister's question.

"Nothing! What is Daniel doing in London anyway? I thought he was pissed at you or something."

Betty rolled onto her back and scooted herself up on the pillow to engage herself in the conversation. "Apparently, he quit MODE to find his own path and decided to come here and start over. And to apologize for how he acted when I left."

"_He quit MODE?_ Are you kidding? That is crazy!" Hilda's voice squawked from the other end of the line.

"It did sound crazy at first, but once he explained that he wanted to earn something on his own, it made sense."

"And he just so happened to randomly land in London? Where you are?" Betty wasn't following Hilda's insinuations. "So what have the two of you been up to that has had you so busy you can't call your big sis?"

"You know I've been swamped with the magazine. But if you must know, Daniel and I went to dinner that night he got here and made up for some lost time. Then I ended up hiring him as my assistant."

"He's your _assistant?_ Oh, that's rich! First of all, bravo to you for turning the tables on him! Second of all, has it not hit you that he's trying to get closer to you for a reason?"

"Hilda, what in the world are you talking about? It's nothing like that. I hired him because I needed help and, as my friend, he offered to help me." Hilda snickered. Betty rolled her eyes in exasperation and continued, "And he and I have always been close, so he's not 'trying' anything. At least not if you're implying what I think you are."

"Girl, I'm not implying nothin'! I'm gonna tell you straight up – Daniel _wants_ you. And if I know my baby sister like I think I do, I'm pretty sure you got the hots for Richie Rich too." Betty was wide awake at this point and completely dumbfounded by what her sister was telling her.

"Hilda, you are cra—"

"Uh uh, I saw you two together at our wedding. The way you looked at each other. I was gonna say something about it, but then you told us you were going to London, so I figured whatever that was would just fizzle out, but now Daniel's gone and followed you there!"

"He didn't _follow_ me here, Hilda. He needed a fresh start and London is as good a place to start over as anywhere else. And if my being here had anything to do with it, he probably just wanted some support from a friend." Betty argued, but deep inside, Hilda had planted some doubts.

"Okay, sure, whatever you say, Betty! But hypothetically speaking, if you and Daniel were to pull your heads out your butts and realize you're good for each other, I would be very happy for you. There. That's all. I'll drop it, okay?" Betty let out a sigh of relief. "But you better get married in New York!" Hilda threw in for good measure.

"Well, that would be a very farfetched hypothetical, so let's not talk about that anymore. How's Justin and Papi?" Betty and Hilda caught up for a few more minutes before Betty hung up to go back to sleep, but her mind raced with Hilda's words.

She laid in bed staring at the ceiling. "There's no way Daniel's interested in me. And I was _not_ looking at him in any kind of way. I don't know what Hilda thinks she saw, but she's nuts! No, she's completely wrong." Somehow Betty thought if she said these words out loud to herself, it would make them true.

* * *

><p>Betty dumped out a basket of take-out menus onto her small dining table.<p>

"Chinese, Thai, pizza…Betty, this is all the same kinds of stuff we'd have in New York. Isn't there any local cuisine we could try?" Daniel said as he rummaged through the pile.

"Daniel, this is London, not Tuscany. It's not exactly known for its food. Besides, I'm kind of in the mood for noodles." Betty placed her laptop down on the dining table to get it started up.

"Chinese it is." Daniel grabbed the phone off Betty's kitchen wall and dialed the number to the Chinese restaurant. He ordered their usual pork dumplings, lo mein, Mongolian beef, sweet and sour chicken, and fried rice. He smiled to himself as he thought about how well they knew each other that he didn't even need to ask her order. Sometimes the two of them reminded Daniel of an old married couple, but in a way that endeared him to the idea of one day being married to someone and growing old together. His life had been so fast-paced and exciting up to this point, he wouldn't really mind just being boring with someone. He almost had that with Molly. He loved that she was simple. The life he had envisioned sharing with her was simple. Everything else outside of Molly and him was so dramatic and complicated then all that drama got dragged inside.

Sometimes Daniel forgot he had ever been married before. Then he would feel guilty for forgetting about Molly, but her voice in his mind would remind him that it was okay to move on and to find happiness again. As he watched Betty in her yoga pants and knitted sweater pull her knees up to her chest and fiddle with the ears on her bunny slippers, he felt like this could be home again.

But it was far from simple. She had no interest in him. She was involved with someone else. She was his boss (although, that was his own fault). And she just knew too much about his sordid past to be able to expect a clean slate with her. Every moment he spent with her made his feelings clearer and clearer which only made the entire scenario more and more confusing. If nothing could become of these feelings he had, what was he doing in London torturing himself seeing her day in and day out, falling in love with another man, and putting their friendship in jeopardy?

"So do you want to go ahead and get started on the article while we wait for the food or eat first?" Betty interrupted his thoughts.

"The food shouldn't be much longer. Besides, I can't think on an empty stomach."

"Really? It looked like you were pretty lost in thought for a while there. Want to unload?" She offered.

Daniel just stared at her. Her big brown eyes stared back, drawing him in and pulling on his heart strings. Should he tell her and get it off his chest? He cleared his throat and moved his lips, but before any words could come out, her doorbell rang. "Saved by the bell," Daniel said out loud.

"What was saved by the bell?"

"Umm…nothing, just my hunger, that's all." Betty gave him a strange look before she opened the door to receive their take-out cartons. They decided to eat more casually in the living room sharing idle chit chat and reminiscing about their days in New York. Daniel confided in Betty about the time he accidentally walked in on Alexis in the shower shortly after her revelation and got a brief hard-on from seeing her.

"Eww! That's your _sister_, Daniel!" Betty threw a broccoli stem at him.

"What? I wasn't used to the idea of having a sister and she looked nothing like my brother!" Daniel tried to defend himself, but it was no use. Even he knew that incident was appalling. Daniel speared a carrot slice with his chop stick and catapulted it at Betty hitting her square in the nose. She gasped, stunned at the edible ammunition that just struck her.

"_That_ was for this broccoli you threw at m—" Before he could finish his sentence, he was bombarded with a face full of wet noodles. Daniel reached for the carton of the remaining lo mein and lunged toward a giggling Betty. Once he had her pinned down to the floor between his legs, he fiddled with the hem of her sweater threatening to raid her top with noodles and vegetables.

"Okay, okay, okay! I surrender!" Betty shouted in playful desperation tugging her sweater back down. Daniel eased off of her then pulled her up by the hand. "Besides, I wouldn't want to excite 'Little Daniel'!" Betty burst into a fit of laughter as she picked noodle bits out of his hair.

"I don't even know why I told you that. Enough about my family. How's your family doing?" Daniel quickly changed the subject for fear of her prediction coming true.

"Good. They're doing alright without my help." Betty tried to say this with a positive tone, but Daniel knew that it made her a little sad to not feel needed. "Justin's growing up so fast! He and Austin are still together. I can't believe my little nephew is in a serious relationship and I'm not!"

Daniel thought it strange that Betty would say that considering how things were going with Ian. It seemed like she could be in a serious relationship if she wanted to. This epiphany gave Daniel a surge of hope that maybe she and Ian might not get serious.

"Yeah, Justin's an amazing kid. Just seeing him at your sister's wedding have the courage to show the world how he feels about someone no matter what the repercussions might be. It's too bad everyone can't have that kind of fearlessness." As Daniel said this, he knew he was saying this more to himself than to Betty.

"Speaking of my sister's wedding, you wouldn't believe what Hilda told me this morning. Can you believe she actually thought you and I had a 'thing' for each other at their wedding? Isn't that the most ridiculous thing you've ever heard?" Betty said as she stuffed a whole dumpling into her mouth.

Daniel looked intently at his carton of sweet and sour chicken hoping Betty wouldn't see the reaction on his face. "It's not the _most_ ridiculous thing. What? Am I not lovable enough?" He said half-jokingly, but really trying to gauge how she felt about him.

"Oh, you're plenty loveable. Just ask half the female population of New York City. There's just no way you'd ever focus one of those wandering eyes _this _way!" Betty joked back.

Suddenly Daniel got serious. "Why would you think that? Do you think you're not attractive? Now _that's_ the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard." He looked directly into her eyes, unwavering.

Betty was silent for a moment, trying to process what Daniel just revealed to her. His piercing blue stare clearly making her nervous. "Please. We've all seen your type and I don't fit your type… or any of their clothing. I just don't know how Hilda could even suspect that." She put down her food and pick up her laptop. "It's starting to get late. We should really get started on that story now."

He could tell she was getting uncomfortable with the turn the conversation had taken, so he let her drop it and followed suit. He had almost mustered up the courage to tell her how he felt. He was so close. The opportunity was right there and he bit it. But Betty didn't seem ready to hear it.

* * *

><p>"Okay, your turn. 'What motivated you to make a drastic change in your life and how did you find the courage to take the leap?'" Daniel read from the list of interview questions they had come up with for the article.<p>

"Well," Betty looked up in deep thought, "I was obviously motivated by the opportunity to not only work on but be _in charge_ of a magazine that was close to my heart. Working at MODE was beyond wonderful. It taught me everything about running a magazine, but content-wise, it wasn't my thing. I wanted to reach out to _real_ women living _real _lives and this was the opportunity I wanted to share my voice. As much as I enjoyed working on a fashion magazine, I wasn't exactly the authority on that – wait, scratch that last part. I don't want to sound too negative towards MODE."

"Alright, "Daniel said as he tapped on the backspace button on Betty's laptop. "So then how did you find the courage to take the leap?"

She was quietly contemplating the answer to this question. After a few moments, she finally said, "From you."

Daniel looked up at her with a bit of surprise and a lot of skepticism. "What, did I scare you away with my antics?"

Betty chuckled. "No, your antics almost made me change my mind! Actually, it was what you said to me at Hilda's wedding. You know, about looking around and seeing that all is right with the world. I watched my family and I knew they would be okay. They were the main thing that motivated my decision making – to help keep my family afloat and together, but I looked around and, like you said, everything was _right._ They were all living their dreams, so it was okay for me to live mine." Daniel noticed that her face did not match her words. There was a sadness in her eyes.

"Then what do you regret?" Daniel asked candidly, seeing deep into her soul.

"I believe the question we came up with was 'Do you _have _any regrets?' and that question isn't until the end." Betty answered.

Daniel put the computer down on the coffee table and placed a hand on her knee. "_Off the record._ What do you regret? Because I can tell when you're not completely honest and something tells me that you don't really believe that it's 'okay' to live your dream."

Betty took a heavy breath and slumped her shoulders in surrender. "I don't know. It's just hard to truly enjoy a dream come true when you don't have the ones you love around to share them with." Daniel squeezed her knee and she looked up at him. The twinkle had returned to her eyes. "But having you here helps… a lot." That was enough to reassure Daniel that he had no regrets about following his dream.


	11. Chapter 11

It took Daniel and Betty three days to finish interviewing one another, put their answers into a cohesive article, and put the finishing touches on it. Betty had to admit, she was very proud of the article. She truly felt it would serve to inspire others to assess their current situations and make any necessary changes even if it means taking a big step and starting over again. Having Daniel in on it added that extra element of taking risks even if it means giving up a lot of what you have in life to pursue true happiness. But the best part was that Daniel and Betty got to dig deep and see a different side of an old friend they thought they knew everything about. She felt that much closer to him as a result of this assignment. As she stepped out of the elevator to take the piece to Mr. Dunne for review, she was confident he would love it as well, except for one minor detail.

"Mr. Dunne?" Betty poked her head into his office.

"Oh, yes, Betty, come on in! Is the feature article ready?" Mr. Dunne replied with enthusiasm.

"Yes, and I'm quite happy with it. The only problem is we had four pages to fill and the article is only a little more than two pages worth. Maybe if you ready through it you can offer some solutions for how we can fill in the gap?" She informed him apologetically.

"That's fine. I was actually hoping we could include more photos of the two of you anyway. This leaves us plenty of room for that! You and Daniel have cleared your schedules for the photo shoot tomorrow morning, right?"

"Yes, it is in my calendar. Thank you, Mr. Dunne." Betty left his office excited and satisfied. When the elevator doors opened, she was delighted to find Daniel on his way up from picking up her coffee and danish.

"Daniel! Just the person I wanted to see!" She gleefully hopped into the elevator and greeted him with a warm embrace.

He handed Betty her food. "That excited about pastry and coffee? Maybe I should have gotten you decaf?"

"No, I just submitted our piece to Mr. Dunne. He hasn't read it yet, but I'm pretty confident he'll love it as much as I do. He seems pretty confident about it too." She took a quick sip of her coffee and closed her eyes. Just right. It still made her giddy that Daniel knew exactly how she took her coffee. There was just something about someone _knowing_ you so well that you didn't need to constantly explain yourself that made a girl feel special.

"Well, then it has been a pleasure doing business with you, Miss Suarez. I do believe our mission is complete." Daniel jested as he stepped out of the elevator on their floor.

Finishing a swig of coffee, Betty replied, "Mmmm! Don't run away just yet, Mister! We still have the photo shoot tomorrow morning, remember? Ugh. I'm _not_ looking forward to that part."

"Why not? Sounds like fun. I'm told we'll be shooting at several key locations around London. I guess they're going for the 'foreigners take London by storm' idea."

"I'm just not looking forward to posing for these photos. I'm definitely not photogenic."

"Stop it. You're beautiful. The pictures will be great," he reassured her.

Betty blushed profusely. "_You _stop it! You keep that up, I might start believing you."

Daniel came to a sudden halt. He turned Betty to him, gently cupped her chin to tilt her gaze to his, and said, "In that case, Betty Suarez, you are drop dead gorgeous." His eyes were steady and sincere. "Now go own it at that photo shoot tomorrow." He walked away leaving Betty stunned and breathless.

* * *

><p>Two trailers were lined up on a street that had been sectioned off for a few hours of the morning. One trailer was marked for Betty, the other for Daniel. Daniel was outside having test shots done while Betty finished getting ready in her trailer. When she came out, she was dressed in a short shift dress that had the design of the British flag and her hair was down in soft waves. Daniel, who was a handsome sight in his navy blue pinstripe suit and red necktie, had stopped posing for the camera and gawked at Betty as she made her way to him.<p>

"Alright, so what do I do first?" She asked the photographer nervously. He directed her to stand next to Daniel so they could do a few more test shots and fix the lighting.

"I feel ridiculous in this outfit," Betty muttered to Daniel out the side of her mouth.

"Are you kidding? You're totally fem-bot worthy!" He smiled flirtatiously at her. "You look totally _randy_, baby!"

Betty laughed. "That was the worst Austin Powers impression I've ever heard!"

"Okay, are we ready to get this party started?" John Mason, the photographer, interjected.

He directed Daniel and Betty to stand in a certain spot marked with tape and contorted them into unnatural supermodel poses. Betty was clearly uncomfortable and unfamiliar with being on this side of the camera. She had watched so many photo shoots in her career and it never seemed this difficult for the models. She glanced over at Daniel who, although clearly not in any position natural to him, didn't show any discomfort on his face (but truth be told, he _was_ still doing that whole Derek Zoolander look).

"Alright, now just smile naturally – not too big! A little more!" He called out as the sounds of the shutter emanated from his camera. Betty had a difficult time not smiling too big, at least by John's standards. Trying to smile, but "not too big", made her cheeks shaky and her lips curl.

John snapped a few more pictures before he put the camera down in surrender and changed their positions muttering something under his breath about only working with professionals. He leaned Betty against a wall and propped one of her feet against the brick. One hand was placed near her waist, the other near her head, then John took her chin, tilted it up and to the side and pulled her hips forward to arch her back dramatically. He put both his hands up to signal Betty not to move while he positioned Daniel in front of her, leaned in towards her with his palms pressed to the wall. His face tilted so close to hers Betty could feel his warm breath on her over extended neck.

"Is it just me or do you feel like we're doing yoga with these poses he's putting us in?" She asked Daniel.

"More like kama sutra," he whispered back. Betty let out a snort as she tried to hold her laughter and her position.

John stepped back and started snapping pictures again. He kept calling out commands that made no sense to them. "Your eyes need to look dead! Seduce the camera! I need a coy smile!" Betty didn't know how to do any of the things John told them to do, so as far as she knew, her face stayed the same. Finally, John put his camera down in exasperation.

"Betty, I need you to smile or don't smile, but don't look like you're about to devour my camera for dinner!" He rubbed the bridge of his nose.

"Hey, we're not professional models! Take it easy! Maybe if you didn't put us in such uncomfortable poses, we wouldn't _look_ so uncomfortable," Daniel defended. He touched Betty's cheek and smiled reassuringly at her.

"You don't say? You think I enjoy treating you like marionette puppets?" John turned around to talk to another crew member. They could see him shake his head in disapproval.

Betty eased out of her pose and rubbed her neck. "Daniel, I just don't know how to do this stuff. I'm just not model material. What do we do? Mr. Dunne wants these photos of us."

Daniel turned to her and put his hands on her hips. He tilted his head down to rest his forehead on hers. "You listen to me. You are naturally beautiful. If you just relax a little and _be natural_, the photos will come out great just because you are in them. I don't care if he says 'smile less', you smile the way you always do because that megawatt smile of yours is gorgeous and infectious and no one should try to hide it, okay?"

Her doe eyes looked into his as she relaxed and nodded in compliance. "Thank you." She whispered back at him.

"Perfect! We got it!" John cut in. He put down his camera as the two subjects turned to the photographer in confusion. "That moment, the look between you was perfect. Just give me more of _that._"

"But… we weren't doing anything." Betty and Daniel were taken completely by surprise. They had no idea John was shooting them and they had made no attempt to be camera ready.

They watched John put his hand on his chin and take a moment to think. He started wagging his finger at them. "Yes. Yes! That's it! Instead of posing you, how about you two just… just _be_ whatever you two are."

"We're not –" Betty tried to explain in vain.

"Yes, that's perfect! We'll just shoot natural interactions. Alright, let's get going." John clapped his hands, proud that he had found a solution to the awkward contortionist show they had initially.

Betty and Daniel stood there momentarily stunned by the sudden change of plans. Betty shrugged nervously at Daniel, shaking her head to tell him she didn't know what to do. Daniel thought for a moment as he surveyed their surroundings.

"Follow my lead." Daniel walked up to a gentleman on the crew that was digging through a bag of camera gear. "Excuse me?" Daniel tapped his shoulder. As the gentleman looked up at him, Daniel swiftly grabbed hold of the gentleman's hair and yanked off a toupee. "_Run!" _Daniel shouted and he turned down the street, grabbing Betty by the hand. The two took off in a fit of laughter while the man shouted obscenities at them. All the while, John was happily snapping away, satisfied with their interaction.

The morning was spent frolicking throughout London. The photographer followed them around like paparazzi. Sometimes he'd make a suggestion of an activity they could do. Sometimes Daniel or even Betty would see something and get an idea. They rode on a double decker bus, had popcorn on the London Eye Ferris Wheel (where Betty clung to Daniel for dear life), and even splashed in the fountain at Trafalgar Square. After a much needed wardrobe change, Daniel suggested more quiet, intimate interactions. They shared tea and pastries at a café, fed ducks at a pond, danced to a street performer's violin solo, and shared a friendly conversation on a park bench.

Before they wrapped for the day, Betty had one last suggestion to tease a royal guard. After a few minutes of that and a brief phone call, John had arranged for a uniform replica to be brought down for Daniel to wear instead. In the spirit of "letting loose," John was able to capture several adorable shots of Betty trying to seduce Daniel, wrapping her arms around his neck, kissing his cheek, and _pretending _to flash him while forcing Daniel to keep a straight face.

Betty had to admit that, once they decided to be natural and have a few hours of play time, she actually enjoyed doing the photo shoot immensely. All of her time with Daniel had mostly been work related and, although this shoot was no exception, she felt like she was finally getting to spend some quality time with her best friend without paperwork, meetings, or even Ian.

There was something about the way Daniel started the day defending her honor, the way he took her hand and helped her relax, and even the slightest look or touch that made her feel on top of the world. Even though they had been close friends for so long, their boss-assistant relationship always created this distinct border that made it difficult to have those moments between them without it possibly violating their company's code of conduct. Yes, they were _still _boss and assistant, but under the guise of being professionally photographed, she could tell that they mutually felt at ease with the intimacy of their friendship.

When they had finally wrapped and changed out of their wardrobe, Daniel invited Betty to go out for a late lunch.

"Thanks, but I'm exhausted. I think I'm just going to head back home and wind down. Maybe veg out with a chick-flick." Daniel nodded, but Betty could tell he was clearly disappointed. She didn't have any energy left to go out, but she didn't want to part ways with Daniel any more than he did. "Want to join me?" She offered hopefully.

"Sure." Daniel grinned. "I could go for some _Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants._"

"Eww, no. Those girls are annoying. I was kind of thinking of watching _The Proposal._" Arm in arm, they casually walked back to Betty's place, content to just _be_ whatever it is that they were.

* * *

><p><em>Hit that review button! Enjoying your feedback! :)<em>

_AUTHOR'S NOTE: This chapter was actually a lot more fun in my head than it was to write! Did you catch those movie references at the end there? (If you've never seen __**The Proposal**__, you MUST watch it ASAP or read the synopsis and you'll get why Betty wants to watch it. Hehe) There was supposed to be another part to this chapter, but I kind of just wanted to end it there. Thanks again for the wonderful feedback! You guys keep me going! Thanks especially to __**boidwriter**_ _for taking the extra time to help me work out the kinks!_

_DISCLAIMER: __I do not own Ugly Betty, its characters, or any ideas, concepts, or names originating from the ABC show._


	12. Chapter 12

_AUTHOR'S NOTE: I know that last chapter was a lot of fun, but I'll admit that it was gratuitous flirting. I wanted to make sure to get in some fun and cute Detty moments before the obstacle course ahead._

_DISCLAIMER: __I do not own Ugly Betty, its characters, or any ideas, concepts, or names originating from the ABC show._

* * *

><p>The office was abuzz with excitement and chaos as two weeks remained before the premiere launch of <em>Reflect<em>. Today, they were going to review the mock ups of the magazine content and even see the cover mock up for the first time. Daniel and Betty had seen a few of the proofs from their photo shoot, but everything had gone directly to the photo editor and features editor for selection and layout. Betty had been so busy that she wouldn't have an opportunity to sign off on the final product until today. Daniel had been preoccupied with starting the arrangements for the launch party that he hadn't even seen any of the content, including their story.

"Betty Suarez's office, this is Daniel speaking, how can I help you?" It was a juggling act of answering phone calls, taking down messages, handing off files, taking and organizing stacks of paperwork others were giving him, and ignoring Charlotte's stares. "Yes! Oh, thank you for calling me back. I really appreciate it… Really? _All _ the desserts?... That is fantastic!... Yes, sir, we will _gladly_ display your sponsorship. Some free advertising is the least we can do for your generous donation… Thank you, again!" Daniel hung up the phone and enthusiastically checked off an item from his launch party "to do" list.

"Hey, Daniel, I know you're pretty swamped here, but I need you to run down to the printers and pick up the cover mock up. I'll have Charlotte cover the phones for you. I just really need someone trustworthy to go there personally and bring it back without anyone else getting a sneak peak. Would you mind?" Betty was trying very hard to be polite and accommodating, but Daniel could already see the fatigue setting in. Her radiant smile had already faded and her lively disposition melted away.

"Not a problem at all. You hired these puppies too, remember?" He pointed to his black Prada dress shoes. "You want me to pick up a coffee for you too on the way back?" Betty nodded. He grabbed his coat and cell phone and turned to leave when Betty stopped him.

"Daniel!" She smiled ear-to-ear for the first time that morning. "You're going to love the cover. It's _really_ good."

* * *

><p>On the way back from the printers, Daniel walked with an extra spring in his step. Having had a preview of the cover mock up, he was extremely proud – of how the photo came out, of Betty's first magazine, of the story they had written together. He handled the poster gingerly and kept it tucked in the oversized envelope then shrouded it with a black sheet lest any passerby bump into him and reveal the precious cargo. After he had picked up a coffee for Betty, he held it an arm's length away from the poster the rest of the way. This was Betty's baby and Daniel was being sure to protect it like he always had protected her.<p>

When he returned to the _Reflect_ office, he met Betty immediately in her office.

"Who's got two thumbs and is about to make you the happiest woman alive? _This _guy!" He paused, realizing he had the cover in one hand and her coffee in the other. "Okay, I know that doesn't have the same effect when I don't actually have use of my thumbs, but nonetheless, here is your caffeinated pick-me-up, and the crowning glory to all your hard work for the past four months. And you're right. I loved it." Daniel peeled away the black sheet and slowly slid the poster out of the envelope allowing the anticipation to build. He finally held up the cover mock-up for Betty to see and feel.

She put her hand over her mouth to stifle her gasp. Her eyes glistened with tears of joy as she pulled up to Daniel's side to get a closer view of it. She leaned her head on his should while they silently admired the inaugural cover to her magazine. The picture on the cover featured Daniel holding Betty's hand and helping her step off a double-decker bus. The accompanying headline read, "_Stepping Out and Starting Over: The Publishing Powerhouse Behind __**Reflect**__."_

"Daniel… that's _us._ We are on the cover of a magazine! Well, I mean, you've made a few covers of US Weekly, but this one is for real." Betty turned to give him a quick peck on the cheek, but as timing would have it, Daniel turned to look at her at that very moment resulting in an inadvertent kiss on the lips. Betty pulled away quickly, obviously embarrassed. "Oh! Oh, my gosh, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to…"

"It's alright, Betty, you definitely don't need to apologize." Daniel said with a sizeable smile across his face. Daniel had been wondering for a while now what her lips would feel like against his. Even for that unintentional but lingering second, he savored the feeling of her full lips on his.

"I-I just meant to give you a quick peck on the cheek, but you…well, you know, turned and…" She blushed.

Daniel felt a momentary surge of courage at that moment. He took a deep breath knowing that his nerve could go as quickly as it came. "Betty, I've been –," he started, but was fatefully interrupted by a light knock on the door. Ian's head poked through the door.

"Ian! Come in! Come in! Come look at the cover mock up!" Betty's face was bright. When Ian stepped into the room presenting Betty with a large bouquet of pink Gerbera daisies, her expression brightened even more. "Aww, Ian! How did you know? No, really, how _did _you know these were my favorite? I don't think I ever told you that."

"I have my sources," he said with a wink. Ian and Betty met in a warm embrace and a sweet –and deliberate – kiss. Daniel started to slip out of the room inconspicuously, neither wanting to be witness to the public displays of affection nor Ian's eventual reaction to the cover photo when he caught the latter.

"Wow, Betty. It looks, umm, really great! Even I can't argue with that!" Ian gave Betty another quick kiss then turned his attention to the cowering figure in the doorway. "Daniel, congratulations to you as well." Daniel responded with a simple nod before completely exiting the room.

He watched them through the glass. Ian was sweet and gentle with her and Betty's expression was happy and carefree. Daniel began to question whether he should even try to come between them. Sure, Betty didn't seem all too sure about where she wanted that relationship to go, but if this was truly a chance for her to start anew –new home, new job, new man – who was he to try and stop her… again? And Daniel wasn't sure he was willing to risk losing their friendship if Betty didn't reciprocate his feelings. Even though Daniel never cared for Betty's taste in men, perhaps, he should just back off and let their relationship run its course and just be there for her when – _if – _things unraveled.

"Hey, Daniel, I know you usually grab lunch with Betty, but since she looks preoccupied, you want to come have lunch with the rest of us assistants?" Angela asked accompanied by three other women. Daniel took another look into Betty office seeing Ian rubbing her back and saying something that had Betty in stitches.

"Yeah, sure. It's about time I got to know some of the other people in the office." He grabbed his wallet and phone from his desk and got up to leave with the other assistants without another word or glance towards Betty.

* * *

><p>"So Daniel, we all know you used to be the Editor-in-Chief at MODE and Betty's former boss. Would you mind my asking why you are her assistant here now?" Angela inquired.<p>

Daniel squirmed in his bistro chair. Daniel's position as assistant was understood and natural to him and Betty, but trying to explain it to the outside world was a whole other issue. He nervously cleared his throat. "I just wanted a change of scenery, so I came to London, and Betty needed some help. I thought it was _my_ turn to help _her _the way she's helped my career for four years."

The four women who were sitting around him with their chins resting on their hands and listening intently to his every word all aww'ed in unison. Daniel blushed.

"That's so sweet of you!" Elise chimed. "So, did you and Betty ever…" she made some strange gesture with her hands.

"Elise! That's personal!" Angela scolded.

"I didn't mean that they were bonking! Just wanted to know if they dated back in New York." Elise defended herself.

Daniel chuckled. "No, no, Betty and I never dated. We were just colleagues and good friends. Best friends, even."

The women continued to probe him during their lunch hour about MODE and New York and his personal life. Daniel tried his best to be open with them without revealing too much about his feelings for Betty.

On their walk back, Daniel and Angela chatted more intimately between themselves while the other ladies took a pit stop in a boutique. They got along pretty well. Angela actually reminded him a little of Betty circa 2007. She was enthusiastic and ambitious, but a little naïve. She had that endearing "bright eyed and bushy tailed" essence about her and he could tell she would not be a career assistant for long.

While in the elevator, their office floor approaching, Daniel weighed out the option to ask out Angela on a date. He was feeling like Betty was happy with Ian and that he didn't want to be alone waiting around for something that might never come into fruition, but on the slightest chance that it could, he didn't want to ruin it by dating someone else in the office. He debated this until they were just about at their floor, but before he could open his mouth, the elevator opened its doors.

"Betty!" Angela exclaimed as if reading Daniel's thoughts.

"Wh-what?" Daniel responded.

"Hey, you two!" There was Betty standing outside the elevator. "Were you guys at lunch?" She gave Daniel a questioning, and slightly offended, look.

"Yeah, umm, some of us assistants went to lunch together," Daniel said to reassure Betty he and Angela hadn't gone alone. He held the door open as Betty got in and the two of them got out.

"Oh. Okay, well, I have a meeting with Mr. Dunne. Daniel, I have some things I need filed. There's a pile on my desk, if you can get to that." The doors began closing in front of her. "And can you make dinner reservations tonight for me an – " she called out before the elevator doors sealed out the sound.

"Well, back to work, I suppose," Angela announced. "It was nice having you join us. You should come out with us again. I promise we won't have so many questions next time." She turned and walked away before Daniel could muster up the courage once more to ask her out.

Daniel headed back to Betty's office to retrieve the aforementioned files. Instead, what he found at her desk was stoic man reading a copy of MODE. Daniel's stomach immediately dropped. Surely, if Ian was reading a copy of the magazine, it must be Betty's.

"MODE, huh? You like fashion magazines?" Daniel asked glibly.

Ian put down the magazine. "Not really. They're kind of pretentious and unrealistic. I'd much prefer reading and writing about things that actually matter." He took a swipe below the belt.

"Yeah. Now, if only you could get your work printed in a magazine so other people could read it, right?" The passive-aggression was Daniel's foray out of being "Mr. Nice Guy" with Ian.

Ian looked away for a brief moment as if to say _touché_. He glanced down at the magazine then back at Daniel. "You know, I was a bit skeptical when Betty told me her former boss quit his prestigious job and moved to London. Red flags went up when I learned you were now her assistant. I couldn't even help noticing the little streak of jealousy on your face whenever I'm with her. Now, I was willing to give you the benefit of the doubt because Betty's taken a fancy to you as her lap dog, but now I'm pretty certain you're here on a mission." Ian held up the copy of MODE opened to the Letter from the Editor page. "I don't know much about who your 'friends' were back in New York, but I _do _know the one you followed across the ocean, so it doesn't take Sherlock to figure this one out."

"Has Betty read it?" Daniel asked nervously.

Ian shook his head. "Not that I know of. I got this copy from my dentist's office. But I'll tell you what. I'll keep your little secret if _you_ just promise to keep your relationship strictly professional, hmm? Betty would never go for a spoiled, cowardly bloke like you." With that, he stuffed the magazine in his inner jacket pocket and left Daniel standing in Betty's office stunned.

Eventually, Daniel collected himself enough to return to his responsibilities. He called Betty's favorite restaurant in London and made dinner reservations for two under her name, then filed the papers Betty had requested to be organized. His gloomy mood must have been evident on his face because, when Betty returned from her meeting with Dunne, she came up behind him and started casually massaging his shoulders.

"Hey, why so glum? It's a good day, remember?" She asked with concern in her voice.

Daniel purposefully shifted to move away from Betty's touch. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just have a lot to do."

Betty was taken aback by Daniel's withdrawnness. "Mmm-kay. Well, we still have our meeting in an hour in the conference room and celebratory dinner tonight. Are you going to make it till then?"

Daniel looked at her with surprise. "Oh. The reservations were for _us?"_

"Yeah, who else? We have a lot to celebrate, right?" Her eyes were so innocent and hopeful that Daniel hated to disappoint her.

"Yeah, but I already have plans for tonight," he lied. "You should take Ian. I'm sure he'll want to celebrate with you too."

"We already celebrated at lunch, but okay. If you're busy, then I guess I'll take Ian instead." Daniel couldn't even look her in the eye for fear she'd read all his desires and emotions in their secret language. Daniel simply grabbed the manila folders he was sorting and got up quickly to go to the file room leaving Betty confused and dejected.


	13. Chapter 13

_AUTHOR'S NOTES: I just wanted to say a big thank you to all of you who have been following this story, especially those that have been kind enough to share your reviews. I truly appreciate the feedback! (It's also made me realize I need to leave more feedback to the stories I read and enjoy too!) It's been fueling my writing. This was my very first foray into writing fanfiction or __**anything **__creative, really, in over 10 years, so the readers' support has truly been inspiring. Thanks, guys! Hope you stick with me!_

_DISCLAIMER: __I do not own Ugly Betty, its characters, or any ideas, concepts, or names originating from the ABC show._

* * *

><p>Betty leaned back in her chair biting her nails as she watched Angela pull up to Daniel's desk supposedly to ask him a question about some piece of paper she was holding. Daniel seemed happy to oblige and stopped his own work to "assist" Angela with whatever her request was. After a minute or two of their professional exchange, their conversation appeared to turn to a more personal one. The way Angela put her hand on Daniel's when she laughed at his corny joke. She could tell he was telling his favorite pirate joke by the way he pantomimed. It always made Betty laugh whenever he told this joke, not because it was actually funny but because Daniel thought it was funny enough to repeat.<p>

It wasn't that she was jealous of Angela. Daniel had every right to date whoever he pleased. In fact, Betty was surprised it had taken Daniel, of all people, so long to show interest in one of the nineteen single women on staff at _Reflect._ It just really bothered her to watch Daniel give so much attention to someone else and be so cool and withdrawn to her. She was his boss after all. He was getting _paid_ to give her attention, wasn't he?

Truth be told, it was driving her crazy that Daniel's attitude had changed seemingly overnight. One minute he's telling her just about every other minute how beautiful he thought she was, the next he was making up any excuse not to be around her. She was desperate to ask him what the issue was, but she wasn't sure if it was just in her head or not. She didn't want to make an issue where there wasn't one. Or was there?

Betty was on the brink of madness, so she decided to make up any excuse to talk to him. She just needed to gauge the situation and figure out if he was being aloof with her. She got up from her chair and opened the door of her office.

"Daniel, I need you to help me with… the… the set! For the interview. Yes, can you help me set that up?" Betty scrambled for an excuse. "Oh, Angela! I'm sorry, I didn't see you there. I hope I wasn't interrupting anything. Daniel? Would you?" Daniel and Angela shared puzzled glances as they separated to take care of their business. Daniel followed Betty down the hall without a word. Betty grasped for any non-work related topic they could discuss to help break the ice.

"So, I missed you at my celebratory dinner last night. But Ian was happy to be invited. I guess you were right about me bringing him. I don't think I include him enough in my professional matters." Betty was hoping that talking to Daniel about her guy-problems would resurrect the rapport they had back at MODE.

"Hmm," was all Daniel responded.

"Yeah, he asked me to be his girlfriend. Exclusively." Betty was hoping Daniel would ask her questions or provide her with some wise warnings about getting involved with Ian, but all she got was a curt _"Did he?" _She was getting frustrated trying to get Daniel to take interest in the conversation. "Yeah, but I just told him I'll think about it. I feel bad that I'm stringing him along a little. I just feel like I'm married to my job right now, you know?"

"Yeah." He said with his eyes focused forward. They got to the lounge where Betty and Mr. Dunne were going to be interviewed. They began rearranging some of the furniture to make room for the lights, cameras, and crew that would be filling the space later that afternoon.

"Daniel, did I do something to upset you that I'm not aware of?" Betty finally asked in frustration.

Daniel pushed a couch across the room avoiding eye contact with her. He pulled his bottom lip over his top lip and shook his head. "Nope. What makes you think that?"

"Well, if the cold shoulder you've been giving me for the past 24 hours wasn't an indication, _that_ – that reaction you just had just confirmed it. What's going on?" Betty stopped preoccupying herself with rearranging furniture and stood squarely in front of Daniel with her hands on her hips.

Daniel straightened up and searched for a response, but continued to avoid eye contact. Finally, he simply said, "It's nothing. These long hours are just starting to catch up with me. I just don't want you to feel like you can't count on me."

"Daniel, I'm sorry if I've been extra demanding lately. It's just a stressful time for all of us. We just need to get over this hump. We're almost there."

"No, it's alright. I'm here for you." They stared at each other in silence trying in vain to read the other's face. "So, umm, Ian seems to really be into you. If you really like him, then maybe you _should_ be, you know… exclusive." Daniel choked a little on the last word. He turned to head back down the hall. "But you should really be honest with him one way or the other."

Betty nodded in agreement. "So are _we _okay?"

"Yup! But hey, I got to go make some phone calls." Daniel walked away leaving Betty still dissatisfied with the turn their relationship was taking.

* * *

><p>He sat at his desk staring blankly at his computer screen trying to get back his ability to breathe. <em>Did he just give his permission to Betty to be Ian's girlfriend?<em> Daniel thought he had left the path of self-destruction behind when he stopped sleeping around, stopped turning to alcohol to medicate, quit a job that was unfulfilling, and now here he was pushing away the _one_ thing in his life that gave him something to look forward to.

"_Reflect_ magazine, how may I direct your call? Please hold." Charlotte casually answered the main line as she sat at her desk perusing a magazine – a _MODE_ magazine. There it was. Another copy taunting Daniel. Charlotte caught Daniel staring at her and returned a flirtatious smile and waved her fingers at him. He took a deep breath and dug into his arsenal of flirting tactics so he could try and woo the magazine away from her. He went up to her and perched half his butt on her desk.

"Hey, Charlotte. So, what are you reading there?" He asked her with his 'bedroom eyes.'

Charlotte immediately blushed and fluttered her lashes mercilessly. "Oh, I think you know what I'm reading here. Isn't your name on the masthead, Mr. Editor-in-Chief?"

Daniel tipped the magazine down to peek at the page she was reading. "Hmm… I don't think you need any beauty tips. I think you should be _giving_ them." Charlotte giggled nervously while Daniel attempted to inconspicuously pilfer the magazine from her. He gave her one last flirtatious wink before he snuck away with it tucked in his jacket.

"Hey, Daniel?" Charlotte called to him. "My magazine?"

Daniel closed his eyes and hung his head in temporary defeat, turning back to hand Charlotte her copy of _MODE. _"Right. Sorry about that."

The phone line beeped triggering Charlotte to hit the button and reflexively answer, "_Reflect _magazine, how may I direct your call?... I'm sorry, he is in a meeting at the moment, may I take a message?" Charlotte hunched over to jot down the phone message and Daniel took advantage of that brief distraction to open to the Letter from the Editor and carefully tear it out before Charlotte finished. "Yes… alright, I will pass that message along then. Have a good day." Daniel quickly hid the Letter under a stack of papers he was holding just as Charlotte turned her attention back to him.

"Well, duty calls. I should get back to work," Daniel said as he scurried back to his desk just in time for Betty to return.

"Daniel, do you have the information packets ready for the meeting?" Betty asked.

"Uhh, no. Not yet." He answered.

"I'd like to give everyone a chance to look over it before we meet to discuss all the details for the launch party. Can you please get those copies made ASAP?" Daniel cringed at the word 'copies', clearly dreading another encounter with the wild beast of a machine. Taking notice of his reaction, Betty asked with more enthusiasm than expected, "Would you like me to come help you?"

Daniel shook his head. "No, it's okay. I'm sure you have plenty to do. I'll find some help." He grabbed the packet off his desk and headed directly to Angela trying not to see the hurt look on Betty's face.

"Hey, Angela, if you're not too busy right now, would you mind helping me out with something for a sec?" He wasn't sure if he was genuinely interested in Angela or just trying to make Betty jealous, but either way, he needed to avoid any extracurricular time with Betty.

Angela flashed Daniel a massive and familiar smile. "Yes! Of course I can help you out. Copy machine?"

"Yeah, how did you know?"

"I heard about the little scuffle you and the Xerox got into a few weeks ago," she teased. "Come, let me show you."

* * *

><p>"Alright, so first you'll want to put all your originals here in the top feeder with the print side upwards." Angela instructed Daniel.<p>

"That's what I did the first time and that stupid piece of junk printed blanks!" Daniel argued back.

Angela laughed. "Wow, this machine really gets you riled up, doesn't it? So then what you want to make sure you do is select here in the screen the source of the original and that says 'Top Feeder'. Next, you select the paper source where your copies will be printed on, so we have that as 'Bin 3'. Now, since you're making a packet, you can save some time by having the machine collate them for you."

"Really? It does all that? Wow, maybe I should have been nicer to her," commented Daniel.

"Oh, so the machine's a 'her' now? A minute ago it was 'that stupid piece of junk'," she mocked. "Right here is the collate button and it even gives you the option to staple them as well. And, copy! She's pretty talented, isn't she?"

Daniel blushed. "Yeah. But behind every talented machine is a brilliant operator," he joked back over the hum of the machine.

"Well, I've had a lot of practice on these babies." Angela tapped the side of the copier.

"How long have you been an assistant?" Daniel asked while waiting for the copies to finish.

"A little over a year before they started up _Reflect._ I was working for Katherine at the other magazine she came from. She brought me here with her. Otherwise, I would have applied for your job!"

"Really? Do you enjoy being an assistant or are you working towards something else?" he probed.

"Of course I'd love to be an editor one day, but for now I'm just soaking it all in. Learning everything I can about the field," Angela told him as the machine spewed out the last copy and came to a restful silence.

Daniel smiled as he briefly reminisced about his once perky, go-getter assistant. "Betty used to say that too and look where she is now. So I'd say that's a great plan."

"Here you go, Mr. Meade. Hot off the press."

Daniel took the stack of finished packets from her. "So, would you be free for lunch again today? My treat?"

Angela nodded. "Sure. But just a warning. I eat like a pig if someone else is paying."

* * *

><p>"Alright, if everyone is here, I'd like to go ahead and get this meeting started," Betty commenced. She took the stack of copies Daniel had made and began passing them out around the table. "This is a packet we prepared with some of the details Daniel's painstakingly arranged for the upcoming launch party. Most importantly, you should find a list of everyone's program assignments for that evening and a brief description of what you need to do. While Daniel is getting the Powerpoint presentation ready, I'll give you a few minutes to go through the packet. I apologize for not getting those to you all sooner. <em>Someone <em>who will remain nameless was too afraid to use the copy machine."

Betty and the rest of the staff busied themselves with the task of surveying the prepared information packets. As the sounds of turning pages filled the room, Daniel fiddled with the tangle of cables running to and from the computer and projector. He was so preoccupied with getting the Powerpoint presentation going that he was oblivious to the whispers and stares that were making their way around the room. After a several minutes, he looked up to adjust the screen projection when he noticed the entire staff was staring at him in confusion.

"Daniel?" Betty's soft voice broke the awkwardness. "Can I see you in my office?"

"Well, I just got the slideshow up."

"Now."


	14. Chapter 14

"Daniel, do you want to tell me what this is about?" Betty stood across from him in her office.

"Umm, do _you_ want to tell me what this is about?" Daniel responded oblivious to what had prompted Betty to confront him. Betty held up a page in the launch party information packet that Daniel had prepared. It took Daniel a moment to decipher what it was a photo copy of, but when he did, his eyes widened and his stomach dropped. "My Letter from the Editor? Wh-what is it doing in there?"

"I don't know, Daniel. You made the packets." Betty's voice was unreadable. "That's not really the point. What does this mean? _'__Perhaps you saw a friend demonstrate a prowess that cast her in a new light. Heck, maybe it was as simple as your friend getting a makeover. Or perhaps that friend was undergoing her own life change, one in which she would no longer be present in your life, compelling you to make your own change to keep her in it, even if it were in a new context.'" _Betty read his words back to him. He may have attempted to be cryptic in his letter, but anyone who knew him – who knew _them _ – could figure it out easily and Betty was no exception. "And '_maybe one day something just changed inside you in the way you saw that good friend, causing you to want her to be more than, well, just a friend.__'_? Daniel, what are you trying to say here? Are you talking about _me?_"

"I…" He hung his head completely unprepared for this conversation. His silence spoke volumes and it was all the affirmation Betty needed.

Betty braced herself on the edge of her desk. "Your mother was right."

"What do you mean my mother was right? Did she say something to you?" He knew that detail wasn't very important, but it seemed so much easier to talk about someone else than his own feelings.

"Before I left, she said that you might have feelings you haven't figured out yet and I just thought she was crazy." Betty kept her gaze out the 4th floor window. "Why…When… How long have you been having these feelings?" Her voice was a mixture of confusion and coldness.

Daniel took a couple steps towards her. "I don't know, really. It kind of just crept up on me and grew over time. I didn't say anything because I wasn't sure what I was feeling. When I got here and I saw you, it became crystal clear how I felt, but you were with Ian, and I—" He knew he needed to stop making up excuses and just be honest with her. "Betty, look at me please." His eyes pleaded with her. His face and body language in complete surrender. "I'm in love with you."

"Oh, my god. I need some air." Betty turned and walked out of her office and headed toward the elevator. Daniel was in close pursuit.

"Betty! Betty! Wait! Where are you going? It's pouring outside!" He continued to plead with her not caring that the rest of the staff was now staring at them.

Betty pressed the elevator button repeatedly until the doors finally opened for her. She quickly stepped inside before Daniel could catch her in the hall. Daniel stuck his foot between the sliding doors before they closed entirely and let himself in to finish talking to Betty. A third person was in the elevator with them, so they rode down in an awkward silence, their discussion suspended four floors. The second the elevator doors opened again, Betty marched outside not caring about the rain that started beating down on her.

Daniel grabbed her arm to stop her. The rain was picking up, already soaking through her thick, black hair. Her glasses were fogging up and dripping with water, so Betty removed them to wipe them off, but she was shaking so hard from the cold rain and the flood of emotions that she dropped them on the ground. Daniel reached down to pick them up for her. As he looked into her face, he was trying not to get distracted by how sexy she looked with her skin covered in moist drops and wild, sticky hair. Daniel removed his suit jacket and wrapped it around her shoulders.

"Betty, please,_ say_ something." In all the years of knowing her so well, at this moment, Daniel could not interpret what was going on in her head.

"So what? Am I just another Grace Chin?" Her tone was surprisingly harsh and bitter.

"What? Who?" Daniel was fully taken aback by her sudden anger with him and it took him a moment to recall the lawyer he had tried to hire for his father years ago. "What does she have to do with anything?"

"I'm just another dorky, awkward girl whose feelings you could toy with. Just another ugly duckling you would make fun of until we changed our appearance. No, it's taken me years to put those feelings aside. I'm not going to get dragged back there!" She lashed back at him, tears and raindrops mixing together in her cheeks.

"What? Wait, since when did you have _feelings_ that could be toyed with that you had to put aside?" He zoned in on this new revelation, not minding the crowds of passersby that continued to brush up against them, too intent on finding refuge from the rain to care about the drama unfolding in public.

Betty realized her slip and attempted to graze over it. "The point is you never would have considered me four years ago or two years ago, for that matter. I was never beautiful enough to be your 'arm candy.' So why now? Because I got a 'makeover'?" She threw his own words at him.

Daniel boldly stepped up to her and took her by the shoulders. His voice came down from the escalated tone their argument had taken. "I'm not going to lie to you and say that I've _always_ been in love with you, but I can honestly say that I've always loved you. You have been the most important person in my life for four years. You are my lifeline. I know that I would do anything for you. That has never changed. It's just… somewhere along the way, those feelings changed into something greater, deeper, but not because _you _changed. I fell in love with you because _I _changed. I realized that I was chasing after the wrong things in this world and not another dollar nor notch on my belt was going to fill the void in my heart. Then you left and it was like having my life support unplugged. You want to quote me? I said that 'something changed _inside me_', Betty." The rain had started to soak through his shirt, but he was fully focused on the storm that had started brewing between him and Betty.

Betty shook her head in disbelief, brushing his hands off her shoulders. "No, real love doesn't treat someone the way you treated me. You let me feel horrible for chasing my dream because it was always about _you_ and what _you_ want. You were angry because you decided you wanted something and for once in your life, you couldn't have it."

"No, I was angry at myself for taking so long to realize what was right in front of me. I was angry that I wasn't important enough to you to stay. I was angry that I let you go with so many questions left unanswered." Betty stared beyond him avoiding his eyes. She shivered violently from the cold. Daniel attempted to put his arms around her to warm her up, but she stepped back in avoidance. "I thought we already put all that aside. Why are you trying so hard to push me away? Why is it so hard for you to believe someone could be madly in love with you?" Daniel was desperately clawing for her understanding.

"I don't have a hard time believing someone could love me. Henry loved me, Gio loved me, Matt loved me, and they loved me for _me_ – braces, frizzy hair, poncho and all. What I have a hard time believing is how the guy that chased wafer-thin models in expensive designer clothes could love me _now_ when I've been right in front of him for four years." Her words stung him. Now anger was starting to build up in Daniel.

"Betty, you need to stop hiding behind all the excuses and just accept that you are beautiful inside and out. You have always been too good for me. You are still too good for me."

"I have a boyfriend." She said simply.

"No, you have a guy you've been leading on for three months because you're afraid to admit you're in love with someone else."

Her eyes darkened as she glared back at him. "Is it really that hard for you to accept that not everything in this world is yours for the taking?"

"Is that what you think of me, Betty? You, of all people, should know I've lost plenty in my life." Daniel was beginning to realize that he had been wrong about how well Betty knew him and how deep their friendship was. She would never love the man he was now if she wouldn't let go of the man he used to be. He looked deep into her eyes one last time seeing nothing but a stranger and realizing there was nothing there for him. "What's one more loss, right?" He turned and walked down the street wishing the rain could wash him away.

* * *

><p>Please keep those reviews coming!<p>

_AUTHOR'S NOTE: Yes, it was as painful for me to write as it is to read! But the purest of golds must go through the fire first, right? By the way, I got the parts of the Letter from the Editor online. ABC no longer has it on their site, but if you're interested in reading the whole thing, you can google it. :)_

_DISCLAIMER: __I do not own Ugly Betty, its characters, or any ideas, concepts, or names originating from the ABC show._


	15. Chapter 15

_AUTHOR'S NOTE: So sorry for the delay! It's been such a hectic week for me. Haven't had a whole lot of time to write. I wasn't purposely trying to keep you on edge! This chapter's a short one, but don't worry, a longer update is coming up very soon. Maybe by tomorrow._

_DISCLAIMER: __I do not own Ugly Betty, its characters, or any ideas, concepts, or names originating from the ABC show._

* * *

><p>Betty opened the door to her flat, dumped her purse and keys on the dining table. She immediately went to the freezer to retrieve a carton of ice cream. With ice cream and spoon in hand, she headed directly to her bedroom, where she climbed under the covers, still in her brittle work clothes.<p>

She had no physical, mental or emotional capacity to manage anything, beyond sitting in bed under her blanket for a night of watching Mr. Bean on TV, while drowning her sorrows in a pint of Ben & Jerry's Phish Food.

Her cell phone played Ian's ring tone. She pretended not to hear it. She just couldn't take anymore conversation and she certainly couldn't tell Ian about the particular events of that day. She just simply wanted to shut the world out for the night.

Ian called a few more times, before Betty's phone finally went silent for an hour. The green light blinking persistently to indicate he had left a voicemail. Betty's heart was physically aching, full of so many mixed emotions- anger, hurt, regret, sadness. There was even a small part of her that, though she would never admit it, was delighted in knowing that Daniel was in love with _her._

She was in desperate need of catharsis and, having never been one to enjoy solitude, decided she was no good at shutting out the world. She picked up her phone and looked at the five missed calls from Ian. She scrolled her contacts and pressed 'call.'

"Hello?" The voice on the other end picked up.

"Hey, I really need to talk to you." Betty responded.

* * *

><p>Daniel opened the door to his new place, tossed his wallet and keys on the console table. He immediately went to the cabinet to retrieve a bottle of scotch. With a glass and bottle of scotch in hand, he headed directly to the living room, where he sunk down on his brand new couch, still in his disheveled work clothes.<p>

He had no energy or motivation to do anything beyond sitting on the couch, listening to the angriest rock music he had on his iPod, and wallowing in a glass of scotch and self-pity.

His cell phone chimed from a text message from Angela. _Hey, is everything ok? _

It was nice of Angela to be concerned, but Daniel chose to ignore the text. He just couldn't take anymore talking tonight. And he certainly couldn't tell someone from the office about the things their boss said to him that day. Daniel simply wanted to shut the world out for the night. Angela texted a few more times before Daniel's phone finally went silent for an hour, the red light blinking to indicate he had unchecked messages.

Daniel's head was spinning. His mind raced with emotions – anger, hurt, regret, sadness, and a little delight in knowing Betty admitted to having had feelings for him in the past_._ Just then his phone rang.

"Hello?" Daniel answered.

* * *

><p>"It's not a bad time, is it?" Betty asked.<p>

"No, Mama. I'm just dying Mrs. Davino's hair. You can talk," Hilda answered. "Is something wrong?"

"Brace yourself. You were right… about Daniel."

"Oh my gosh! See? I knew it! What happened? What did he say?" Hilda responded enthusiastically.

"Whoa, don't get excited. It was not good. I finally read his Letter from the Editor in the last issue of _MODE. _Have you read that?"

"Oh, no, Betty! You know I don't read those parts. I just like the pictures. What about it?" Hilda balanced the phone on her shoulder while she brushed color into her client's hair.

"He basically said in semi-cryptic words that he saw me in a new light and that he wanted to make changes in his life to keep me in it. Hilda, he moved to London for me and for the possibility of being more than friends!" Betty informed her sister.

"Well, duh! I could've told you that! Oh wait, I _did!_ That's not news, honey. What I wanna know is what _you_ said to him."

"Ugh," Betty buried her head in her hands.

"Uh oh. That did not sound good. Betty, what happened? Don't you like Daniel?" Hilda asked.

"Yes! No. As a friend, but… I don't know. I'm just so mad at him! Everything was going great. I had my best friend here in London with me. I got to work together with him again. I was dating a great guy. Then Daniel had to go and drop this bomb on me! He ruined everything! I don't think we can ever go back to what we were or even face each other at work."

"Why would you want to go back to what you were? Daniel's a great guy that has been nothing but good to you. And I know you had a little crush on him before. Why don't you just go for it?"

"I really don't think this is for real. Come on, this is _Daniel Meade _that we're talking about. I don't want to jeopardize our friendship, just because I changed how I looked and he suddenly noticed me after all these years."

Hilda sighed heavily into the phone. "You know, Mama, growing up with you, it always seemed like me and you were so different. You always said that _I_ was the 'pretty one' and you were the 'dorky, less attractive' sister, but you know what I think? You have always been pretty and feisty and confident, but you would wear these junky, old clothes, those ugly red glasses, and you wouldn't let me just fix your nappy hair just so you could cover up how gorgeous you were. What do they call it? Like a 'defense mechanic' or something?"

"Defense _mechanism_?"

"Whatever. You know what I mean. See? You're smarter than me too. Anyway, I think you used your look to keep people away and test people to see if they'd see past that. Daniel's been looking past your looks forever. Why are you gonna blame him for finally looking _at_ you and seeing a beautiful woman? Geez! I wouldn't be mad if he was checking me out."

"Hilda! You're a married woman!"

"What? Just 'cause I'm married, I can't let other men appreciate what Bobby's got?" Betty chuckled. "Well, I'm glad I could cheer you up, Mami, but I gotta go rinse off Mrs. Davino's hair now. You gonna be okay?"

"I don't know. I really wish you were here, Hilda." Betty said sorrowfully.

* * *

><p>"<em>Hello?"<em> Daniel said again having gotten no response to his first answer.

"Good evening, Sir. I'm calling from Connect Media. I was wondering if I could interest you in one of our cable and internet packages for your home…" The voice solicited from the other end of the line.

Daniel quickly interjected, "No, thank you. That won't be necessary. I won't be in London much longer."

Daniel hung up the call and finally read through Angela's texts. He paused a moment to contemplate what he should do, then finally typed back: _R U busy right now? Drinks at The Harp?_


	16. Chapter 16

It was like the worst kind of "walk of shame". It wasn't even because she had to return to the office, where everyone pretended they didn't hear the awkward exchange between her and Daniel or had seen the inadvertent copy of his love letter to her.

In fact, most of the staff didn't even realize Daniel had written about _her,_ until she returned to the office following their argument, soaking wet and emotional. She just didn't know how she was supposed to go back to a normal, productive day at work with Daniel, as her assistant. She wasn't sure whether or not; he'd even show up at all. If he didn't, what was an Editor-in-chief to do less than two weeks from her magazine launch with no assistant and no focus?

She slowly stepped off the elevator into the _Reflect _office. Even though, she purposefully arrived early to try and avoid the gauntlet of judgmental stares, she shielded her eyes with sunglasses, hiding the red puffiness that betrayed her. She averted her gaze from the sympathetic expressions of the handful of people who preceded her.

She knew it was unlikely Daniel would be at the office this early. Still, she approached her office with caution. She did not find him there. She only found a stack of files, her agenda for the day and a cup of coffee – still warm – accompanied by a Post-It note sitting disparagingly on her desk.

It simply read: _Out of office today. Making party arrangements. – D. _

A sick feeling sank to the pit of her stomach. She didn't expect Daniel to come into work. There was a large part of her that secretly hoped he wouldn't. But for him to come in earlier than usual, still have her coffee ready and waiting (but just long enough that it hadn't yet cooled) and not leave her high and dry, made her guilt that much worse.

As she sipped her coffee, tears welled up in her eyes. She was sure it wouldn't be the last time that day. Her coffee tasted more bitter than usual. Not because he hadn't made it just right but because, despite the despicable things she said to him yesterday, he still found a way to be there for her, and this truth cut right through her.

She sat alone in her office for an hour, staring out the window and replaying yesterday's events, over and over in her mind.

_How could she have been so cruel to him? Where do they go from here? Could they ever be friends again?_

Even after she had left New York, knowing that Daniel was angry at her, she somehow knew that, with enough time, Daniel would forgive her. But _this_, this was completely different. Betty didn't think they could ever bounce back from this. Now, she realized she had never felt more lonely in her life.

There was a soft knock on her door. Betty quickly placed her sunglasses back on her face and turned to face the door. "Come in!"

Angela timidly entered Betty's office. "Hi, Betty," she said sympathetically. "Umm, Daniel emailed me your calendar for the rest of the week. He asked if I could help you out if you need an extra hand. I'd be happy to do it."

"Thank you, Angela. I appreciate it. I haven't had a chance to go through it yet, but I'll let you know." Betty fumbled through the stack of papers Daniel had left on her desk. She removed the sunglasses to see better revealing her bloodshot eyes.

"I don't want to overstep my boundaries, but if you need anyone to talk to, I'm also a fantastic sounding board," Angela offered with a gentle smile. "Or mediator, if you wish. Otherwise, I'm very good at minding my own business."

Betty nodded, "That's very kind of you, Angela, but I think I should just get back to business. We do have a deadline coming up soon." She pursed her lips to keep from bursting into tears. As Angela turned to leave, Betty called, "Angela! Do you know if Daniel's planning to come back to the office at all this week?"

Seeing the hopefulness in Betty face, Angela answered, "I honestly don't know. He hasn't said, but he's working so hard on the launch party, so he definitely still works for you." Betty was grateful that Angela was making herself available as a mutual friend to both her and Daniel, but she couldn't help but feel bothered that she had to rely on someone else as a go-between for them. She knew Daniel better than anyone and now this woman who Daniel had only gotten to know a few days ago knew more about him than she did.

With a heavy sigh, Betty decided she needed to preoccupy herself with work and get her mind off of Daniel. She checked the calendar he had left on her desk. The 10 AM slot was circled in red with a happy face drawn in – _Dress fitting with Christina._

With all the recent drama, Betty had completely forgotten that Christina was coming into London this morning with the dress she had designed especially for Betty's launch party. It was perfect timing as Betty was in desperate need of a confidante and familiar shoulder to cry on. She just needed to get through the next three hours.

* * *

><p>"Christina!" Betty gleamed as she greeted her old friend with wide open arms.<p>

"Oh, it's so good to see you, dear!" Christina accepted Betty's embrace and was surprised at her lingering grip. "Betty, you're choking me a bit."

Betty released her hold. "I'm sorry. You just have no idea how much in need of a friend I am right now." Christina frowned sympathetically and hugged Betty again.

"I didn't want to say anything, but you do look a bit like a wreck. What's the matter? And I thought Daniel was here." Betty's face fell to the ground as she gave up the battle to hold back her emotions. Christina stared at her in shock unsure of what to do to console Betty.

"Oh dear! What in the world happened to you? Will a gorgeous gown cheer you up at all?" Betty gave Christina a weak smile and nod. "Well, let's get you into that dress then you can tell me what's bugging you over some designer therapy. Just try not to run any mascara onto it."

Christina handed Betty a garment bag with a dusty lavender asymmetrical gown with a ruched bodice and embellished with frayed rosettes on the shoulder and dropped waist. Betty caressed the silky fabric and carefully brought it behind the screen to try it on. "Oh, Christina! This is the most beautiful dress I've ever worn!" She called out. She emerged from behind the panels looking like a Greek goddess. Christina gasped at her friend's beauty. "Whoa! I did _not_ notice that slit was so high! Don't you think that's a little too flashy for me?"

"Not at all! Betty Suarez, since when was _anything_ too flashy for you? You are going to stop traffic at that launch party of yours." Christina circled around Betty, trying to see what adjustments needed to be made. She stuck several straight pins in between her lips as she tucked, folded, and gathered different parts of the dress. "Fo vu vanna till nee futz duh nattuh vichu?" she asked through almost-closed lips.

"Huh?" Betty responded.

Christina used the last few pins to hold the excess fabric at the hemline. "You heard me. You want to tell me what's the matter with you?"

Betty took a deep breath. "It's Daniel." Her voice cracked in attempt to say his name. Christina looked at her as if to urge her to continue. "I just read his final Letter from the Editor." Christine nodded knowingly. "I asked him about it and he admitted that he was in love with me!"

"Yes, I was wondering when that would finally come out. What did you say to him?"

"So many horrible things." Betty said regretfully. "I basically told him that he was spoiled, selfish, and shallow. I accused him of only being interested in me because I changed my appearance."

Christina stopped adjusting the dress to look Betty in the eye. "Oh, Betty, dear, that's not true. He has always had the utmost respect and admiration for you, no matter how you looked."

"But if that's the case, why did it take him so long to realize he was in love with me? Why wasn't I good enough for him back then?"

"Sweetie, true love is rarely, if ever, at first sight. Lust, maybe. But what has taken Daniel four years to develop, that's the real thing." Her words broke Betty's heart. "I'm not trying to tell _you_ what to feel. I'm just saying that you shouldn't be so hard on him. He truly does love you. C'mon! Everyone else figured that one out long before he did! Come here." Christina pulled Betty into consolation hug.

"Oh, Christina, you came just in the nick of time! Are you still free for lunch?"

"I'm so sorry, Betty. I had already agreed to have lunch with Daniel. I just assumed you would be there too. Otherwise I would have checked with you first." She looked at Betty's sorrowful expression. "I can call and cancel with him, but judging by what you've just told me, I think he might need a friend right now, too."

"No, don't cancel. You're right. He could probably use you. Go, have lunch with Daniel. I'll be fine."

* * *

><p>"The one on York Road opened up? Yes! I would like to take it…. Yes, I understand the prime location costs more. I will pay whatever it costs… Sure, I'd still like to keep the other three billboards we've already rented. Just charge the same card I used on those… Thank you."<p>

Daniel hung up the phone and laid it on his new coffee table. He rubbed his temples as his head was still pounding from the bottle of scotch, beer and tequila shots at the bar, and a restless night. He hadn't even showered and the only reason he bothered putting clothes on was to briefly go out and get Betty's coffee and prep her for a day without him in the office. He really didn't want to see Betty that morning – or ever – but despite the hurt he was feeling, he cared about her too much to abandon her at such a critical time for the magazine. The thought of seeing her face-to-face again killed him, so working from home was the only way he could remain objective about his job.

His phone rang from an unknown number. "Daniel Meade," he answered. It was a representative from London's _This Morning Show_ calling to confirm a slot for Betty to promote the magazine. It was just one of three promotional segments Daniel had booked for her. The rest of the morning was spent making phone call after phone call trying to promote the release of _Reflect._

After he had hung up dozens of phone calls later, he noticed that it was almost noon and he had made lunch plans with Christina. He had originally thought Betty would be with them, but he was fairly certain this was no longer the case. He texted Christina to confirm, that she was finished with Betty's dress fitting and on time to meet him.

Daniel folded up his laptop and went to tuck it back into its bag, when his eye caught site of the shiny pages that had rightfully haunted him for over a month. He picked up the copy of _MODE_ that he had hid in his bag and stared at it for what seemed like an eternity. It stared back at him, judging him – his choice to leave it all behind to follow Betty, his cowardice in admitting his feelings to her, his disillusionment over thinking there was even the slightest chance that he and Betty were meant for one another. The colorful pages mocked him.

He hurled the magazine emphatically across the room aptly knocking over a picture he had put on the mantel of him and Betty at Hilda's wedding. He didn't even bother sweeping up the shattered glass off the floor before he grabbed his coat and left his flat to meet with Christina.

* * *

><p>"Betty told me what happened with you two yesterday. How are you taking it?" Christina didn't try to hide the pained look on her face and, in turn, Daniel didn't either.<p>

"I'm a mess. I have no idea what I'm doing here anymore. I want to keep distracted with work, but even _that_ is chock-full of _Betty._" Christina gave him a understanding nod. "You know, I didn't know what to expect from her finding out, but I never expected _this._ I just thought she knew me better than that! Gosh, I'm so sorry to unload on you like that, Christina. I know Betty's your friend too."

"Oh, that's perfectly alright, Daniel. I'm your friend too. Besides, it really pains me to see you two so out of sync with each other, but if it helps, Betty's not doing much better than you."

Daniel wouldn't admit that it _did_ help to know Betty was hurting too. "Did she say anything about me?" He asked vulnerably.

"Oh, no! I'm not going to play messenger with you two! I'm here for you if you want to talk about how you feel, but if you two want to know about the other one, you're going to have to grow a pair and talk to her."

"Fair enough," Daniel conceded. He quietly sipped his tea and gazed thoughtfully around the room. "Oh my gosh. Christina, is that who I think it is?" He whispered across the table pointing subtlety to the far corner of the patio.

"Who?" Christina turned in the direction he pointed. "Oh, my gosh! That's Adele!"

"I think I should go say hello, don't you think?"

"Daniel, celebrities don't like to be bothered by fans while they're trying to eat a meal."

"I'm not just any fan. We've met before." Daniel rationalized. "I'm gonna go say hi." Before Christina could stop him, Daniel was casually making his way to the singer's table.

"Adele?" He whispered so as not to attract any additional attention to her. "Wow, what a surprise to bump into you here."

"Well, I _do_ live here in London. You're American? Have we met before? You look familiar." Adele eyed him suspiciously.

"Yes, Daniel Meade. You actually sang at my wedding in New York some time ago. Remember, at the planetarium?" He tried to jog her memory.

"Ah, yes! I do remember that. That crazy magazine shoot. That was a very unique little wedding. How are you and your wife doing?" She gestured for Daniel to have a seat in the chair across from her.

"Umm, actually, she passed away shortly after we were married."

"I'm so sorry to hear that. So what brings you to London, Daniel?"

"I'm actually working for a new magazine that is about to launch here in the UK." As Daniel said the words, an idea came to him. "Hey, are you booked for anything next Saturday night? Would I be able to hire you for an event? Even just for one or two songs? Do you remember Betty? She was the one doing the shoot where our wedding was held. Yeah, she's the Editor-in-Chief for this new magazine that's launching and it would be _incredible_ if you could make a short appearance at the National Gallery. I'd be willing to compensate you generously for your time."

"Yeah, I remember that cheeky little lady! I do have an engagement that evening, but I'd be willing to swing by and sing one song afterwards. No charge." Daniel thanked her profusely as they exchanged information then headed back to his table with Christina.

"Oh, my goodness, Daniel! You were talking to her for a while there. What did you say? What did _she_ say? Ahh! You were talking to _Adele!_" Christina babbled.

"I asked her to perform a song at the launch party and she said 'yes'! Can you believe that? Man, Betty's going to flip out! She loves Adele." Daniel automatically took out his phone and started to text Betty to share the news when he suddenly came down from all the excitement. He put his phone down realizing that he didn't have a relationship with her anymore.

"Oh, Daniel. You don't have to pretend you don't care about her. It took you four years to fall in love. It's going to take more than 24 hours to fall out." She put her hand on Daniel's to console him. "You did a very sweet thing for her. Everything you've been doing for this launch has been very selfless of you. You're a wonderful friend. She would never walk away from that."

In spite of the drama that unfolded the day before, Daniel still wanted nothing less for Betty than for her dreams to come true. It broke his heart that he was not a part of that picture, but he knew deep inside that Betty was completely wrong about him. If anything, he probably needed to be a little _more_ selfish and start taking care of his own heart, and yet here he was, a shell of a man, still waiting hand and foot for a woman that wouldn't love him back.

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><p><em>Thanks for reading! Now please hit that 'review' button! I really take your feedback into account!<em>

_AUTHOR'S NOTE: I know all this angst is driving a lot of you crazy! Me too! As someone who married a close friend of 20 years, I've learned that transitioning from best friends to lovers is __**not**__ always smooth or sudden. Plus, a little drama is always fun. _

_I can't tell you how much I appreciate all the feedback. BIG thanks to __**TMadison**__ for beta reading this for me and __**Just Tacos**__ for indulging me in story analysis!_

_DISCLAIMER: __I do not own Ugly Betty, its characters, or any ideas, concepts, or names originating from the ABC show._


	17. Chapter 17

_AUTHOR'S NOTE: So I've come to realize as a first-time fanfic writer, that I come up with story ideas in my head played out as a show/pictures (because I'm writing about a show) instead of thinking up a story in words, so I feel like a lot of what I write feels strange to read. This chapter is no exception. Writing about Adele's voice just __**does not**__ do it justice! Might help the overall experience to listen to the song while reading this. Haha Fanfic 4-D! ;)_

_Just another note – I'm probably going to be bumping up the rating on this story._ I didn't plan on some things that came up along the way, so_ I just want to give myself as much wiggle room with the rest of the story. I'll be changing the rating to M when I post the next chapter. I don't know how much that rating affects things. :\_

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><p>The next couple weeks went by like a whirlwind as the launch of <em>Reflect<em> finally approached. Daniel hadn't come into the office at all except for the few times Betty was out of the office doing her promo segments on the different television networks Daniel had booked for her. It had been a very nerve-wracking experience, one for which she wished she had a support system by her side, but instead she had a collection of color-coded notes and curt emails to communicate with.

Nonetheless, the promos seemed to have gone well, the magazine was in print, and the long-anticipated launch and corresponding party were at hand. Besides the notorious information packet that Daniel had distributed, whatever Daniel had been working on for the launch party was a mystery.

None of those details were relatively important to Betty. The thing that made her most nervous was that this would be the first time seeing Daniel again after their big argument. She didn't know if he would talk to her or ignore her, but both options made her equally uneasy.

Betty sat at her dressing table staring her reflection in the mirror and holding up two kinds of earrings trying to decide which would complement her outfit best. Should she go with the pearl earrings which were safe and simple? Or should she wear the amethyst dangle earrings which were beautiful but far more daring a choice? She bought them several months ago but hadn't found the right outfit or occasion to wear them. After far more deliberation than necessary, Betty finally decided this launch party and the dress Christina had made was the perfect combination to finally take the risk.

As she fastened the dangled earring onto her ears, the doorbell rang.

"Coming!" Betty called out. She opened the door to find Ian looking quite dapper in a slim gray suit – a far cry from his usual t-shirt and worn leather jacket. "Well, well, well… aren't you a handsome sight!"

"Well, I knew my date was going to look drop dead gorgeous, so I couldn't very well be outshined, now could I?" Ian responded as he took her hand and twirled her around. "Boy, am I glad I did because you look…" He finished his sentence with a wolf whistle.

Betty rolled her eyes in embarrassment. "Shall we?"

"Yes, our town car is waiting downstairs." Ian wrapped Betty's shawl around her shoulders and led her out the door.

* * *

><p>The town car pulled up to the National Gallery in front of a crowd of press. Ian got out first and escorted Betty behind him. They politely waved to the flashes of cameras and continued to the top of the stairs where they were greeted by a mariachi band playing "El Rey."<p>

"That's my Papi's favorite song! I love that!" Betty exclaimed.

"Wow, I've never seen a Mexican band before. Wonder where they found one here in London," Ian commented as they passed under lengths of colorful tissue paper banners.

"Me, too. Oh, and these guys are called '_Mariachi'._ My mother loved having Mariachi bands play at our birthday parties growing up." Betty could see that Daniel had planned the theme to remind Betty of her childhood and heritage. Her eyes started to water as she thought about how Daniel had made this launch party extra special for her even though it was really about the whole staff and the hard work they had all put into this publication.

"Johnny! Good to see you!" Ian called out to one of the members of the press in attendance. "Come here! Betty, this is John Spencer. I used to work with him at the paper before I started writing freelance. Johnny, this is my girlfriend, Betty."

Betty flinched at the word _girlfriend_, looking away to hide her reaction. Just as she did, she caught sight of Daniel walking by with a look on his face that showed he had also heard Ian's slip. Her heart skipped a beat as she briefly locked glances with him. She tried to flash him a quick, subtle smile, but he had turned and walked away before she could.

Ian offered his arm to Betty and led her into the main party area where many of the staff, their dates, and esteemed industry guests congregated. Betty made her way around the room schmoozing with "important people" and receiving one congratulation after another.

"Miss Suarez, your magazine is just wonderful! It is exactly the type of women's lifestyle magazine that Britain needs in the market. And the cover story about you and Daniel Meade is truly inspiring. It must be such a comfort having the man in your life be so supportive and knowledgeable about your career field."

"Umm, thank you." Betty didn't know how else to respond. It didn't seem appropriate to correct the Editor-in-Chief of _Complete Woman's Magazine_ on the status of her relationship with Daniel. Besides, she was right about one thing. It _was_ comforting to have Daniel's support and experience backing her up. Betty had heard Ian clear his throat when the lady referred to Daniel as "the man in her life," but after Ian introduced Betty as his "girlfriend", she didn't feel the need to alert the media on the technicalities of their relationships.

Betty grabbed an empanada from the tray of a passing server and stuffed it into her mouth to avoid an awkward discussion with Ian.

"Oh my goodness! These taste _just_ like my Papi's empanadas! Aww, I'm so homesick right now!" Betty exclaimed.

Betty searched for the nearest server. "Excuse me? Who is catering this event? The empanadas are delicious!"

"I'm not sure, Ma'am. I'm just a server," the young man replied.

"Perhaps you should pay your compliments to the chef," a man's voice behind Betty suggested.

Betty quickly turned around, stunned, "PAPI!" She tackled him with a huge embrace. She wrapped her arms tightly around his neck crying tears of joy. She had no regard for her hair or her makeup or keeping the neatness of her dress. "Papi, what are you doing here? How did you get here? Where's Hilda and Bobby and Justin?"

"Slow down, Mija. It's just me. Daniel flew me in just for this event. I insisted on catering the event since I knew you haven't had my home cooking in months. I couldn't really get time off work, so I have to catch a red eye flight back to New York after the party. I just had to be here for you!"

"Oh, thank you so much, Papi! You have no idea how happy I am that you're here." Betty said as she blotted tears off her cheeks.

"You really should thank Daniel. It was his idea to bring me here. _All _of this was his idea. A little touch of Mexico in England. How about that?" Ignacio looked around admiring the decorations and the music and all the people gathered for the launch of his daughter's very own magazine.

"Yeah," Betty responded with a tinge of regret. "Oh, Papi, I almost forgot in all of my excitement. I'd like to introduce you to Ian. Ian, this is my father, Ignacio."

Ian stuck his hand out to Ignacio. "Pleasure to meet you, Mr. Suarez. So glad you could be here for this event."

"Please, call me Ignacio. Ian, I've heard so much about you. You seem to be a very talented writer according to my daughter. Would you mind if I borrowed Betty for a few minutes? I'd like to spend some one-on-one time with my little girl."

"Of course. I'll just go chase down some of your delicious hors d'oeuvres." Ian bowed his head courteously and walked away.

"So that's Ian, huh? Seems like a nice fellow. You two getting serious?" Ignacio eyed his daughter suspiciously.

"No, Papi. We're just dating casually. He's a nice guy, but I'm just not looking for that right now. But even if we were serious, I'm a grown woman. I can handle my business."

"Hey, I just want to know who I might have to give my daughter away to someday. Truth be told, I always thought it would be Daniel."

Betty looked sideways at her father. "Whaaat? Really? What made you think that?"

"Okay, maybe it was more like I had _hoped_ it would be Daniel," Ignacio admitted.

"Why? So your daughter could marry some rich guy and have you move into your own private _casita_ on our property?" Betty joked back.

"No… Daniel's just been so good to our family. I was just thinking he would have made a nice addition, that's all!" He looked at his daughter as her face suddenly fell from joyful to solemn. When Betty didn't respond, he continued. "When I heard he dropped out of _MODE_ and came here to London, I thought I might actually get my wish! But if you like this Ian fellow, I'll be okay living at my own house in Queens."

Ignacio winked at Betty and pulled her into a hug. Their father-daughter moment was interrupted by a tapping on the microphone. They looked toward the stage to find Daniel getting on the microphone.

"Excuse me, may I have your attention?" He paused for a moment as the chatter in the room simmered down. "I hope you are all enjoying yourselves this evening. I would just like to introduce a very honored guest that we have joining us to perform a special number in commemoration of this occasion, a woman that needs very little introduction. Ladies and gentlemen, _Adele!"_ Daniel held his hand out to help her up the stage steps.

Betty gasped in shock and clapped her hands in excitement.

As her acoustic guitarist set up his seat and plugged into the amp, Adele said a few words of introduction. "Thank you. I just wanted to say that I had the pleasure of meeting and working briefly with Betty Suarez back in New York when she was just an editor in training, so when Daniel approached me to sing at this launch party, I couldn't turn it down. Congratulations, Betty, on making the big time and to everyone at _Reflect Magazine."_

Betty was extremely moved by Adele's words and the realization that Daniel had made such a thoughtful gesture in spite of what they were going through. Everything about this party was just so special and personal. She was in awe of all the details Daniel managed to plan from home. She was overwhelmed with gratitude and guilt for all his hard work. She was even sure he had spent much of his own personal money on the event as the budget she had set for the launch party certainly wouldn't have allowed for such grandiosity.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a gentle hand on her back and an invitation to dance.

"May I?" Betty turned to find Ian gesturing toward the dance floor. She followed him and dozens of others to the floor directly in front of the stage.

Betty laid her head tentatively on Ian's shoulders as the intimate sound of the guitar guided them side to side. Betty closed her eyes and immersed herself in Adele's deep, soulful alto voice.

Even with her eyes closed, she could feel the heat of someone watching her. Her eyes fluttered open as they connected with a pair of blue eyes staring at her from across the dance floor. They exchanged intense, longing but pained glances at one another over the shoulders of their respective dance partners – Betty with Ian, Daniel with Angela. Everyone else dancing between them on the floor seemed to disappear.

"_I hate to turn up out of the blue uninvited,_

_But I couldn't stay away_

_I couldn't fight it_

_I had hoped you'd see my face _

_And that you'd be reminded that for me,_

_It isn't over"_

Daniel looked away for a brief moment overwhelmed by the gravity of the lyrics, but magnetically realigned his gaze to Betty's.

"_Never mind I'll find someone like you_

_I wish nothing but the best for you too_

_Don't forget me, I beg_

_I remember you said,_

'_Sometimes it lasts in love but sometimes it hurts instead_

_Sometimes it lasts in love but sometimes it hurts instead.'"_

An involuntary tear coursed its way down Betty's cheek. It was as if Adele was singing all the words they were not able to say to each other for the past two weeks. Her lyrics were a surrogate for the conversation they did not have the courage to have and yet, with their shared look – that secret language they spoke – they both knew what it meant.

"_Sometimes is lasts in love but sometimes it hurts instead." _Betty quickly wiped away her tears and joined the room in thunderous applause.

Several staff members urged Betty to get up on stage and give a speech. Knowing she would have to say a few words sometime that evening, she hesitantly yielded to their insistence. Slowly making her way up to the stage, she looked at all the friendly, excited faces there to support her – her father, Ian, her staff, her _Daniel, _and the dozens of media contemporaries anticipating the materialization of her voice, her dream. It was then that she finally realized how far she had come.

"'Thank you' doesn't even begin to describe my gratitude towards you all. Ironic, I know, seeing that I'm in the print media industry, that I'm at a loss for words, but _thank you. _Thank you all so much for being here, not just at this launch party, but for showing your support for this publication's release. I want to thank my father for teaching me my whole life that, no matter what your standing in society, no matter what card you are dealt in life, you can do _anything_ with hard work and perseverance. And if you enjoyed the hors d'oeuvres tonight, then you ought to thank him too!"

The quiet room erupted into laughter and short applause.

"I'm especially thankful to Lindsey Dunne for granting me this opportunity to use my talents to make a difference in the world. Thank you, Mr. Dunne for giving my voice a microphone and for your faith in me. Thank you, to _all _the wonderful staff at _Reflect_ –from the editors, to the assistants, to the custodians – you are each an important cog in this amazing machine. Without a single one of you, we wouldn't be here with a really great final product. I look forward to many more issues with you all." Betty sighed deeply and thoughtfully before she continued on.

"And last, but certainly not least, I want to thank Daniel Meade," Betty's voice cracked as she fought back her emotions. She scanned the room in search of his face. She did not find it, but she caught sight of a familiar figure ducking out the side door. She continued nonetheless in hopes that he would hear her. "Four years ago, I was brought into his life and he has since changed me for the better – professionally and personally. He has taught me everything I know about the magazine industry and being an Editor-in-Chief. He has always –well, _almost_ always – supported me through each stepping stone to realizing my dream. And he has since sacrificed a lot in his own life to come here and breathe life into this magazine and this launch party. I don't know where I'd be without Daniel – my boss, my assistant, my best friend, my…" Betty caught herself before she got too personal. "Thank you, Daniel."

"Well, I hope you all enjoy the rest of your evening. Thank you!" Betty quickly made her way off the stage and out the door she saw Daniel disappear through. She found a few people mingling in the foyer, but no Daniel.

"Hey, Charlotte. Did you happen to see Daniel come through here?" Betty asked.

Before Charlotte could reply, the woman at the coat check overheard and answered, "Are you looking for Daniel Meade? He just checked out his coat and left a few minutes ago. You might be able to catch him."

Betty quickly exited the front door of the museum to try and stop Daniel. He was nowhere in sight. Betty walked down the steps enjoying a few moments of peace and quiet from the excitement of the party. Taking a seat on the steps in the very same spot she and Daniel reunited when he first got to London, she reminisced about that day when all that had fallen apart between them was made whole again. She stared up at the stars just meditating on the future of their relationship, if there was anything left to salvage.

She felt the presence of someone quietly sit down beside her.

"I thought I might find you here," he said.

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><p><em>Keep those reviews coming!<em>

_DISCLAIMER: __I do not own Ugly Betty, its characters, or any ideas, concepts, or names originating from the ABC show. I also do not own or have rights to the song "Someone Like You" by Adele._


	18. Chapter 18

_AUTHOR'S NOTE: I've upped the rating on this fic to Rated M. Not because I plan on suddenly making it smutty or anything. I just wanted to give myself some room to allow myself to write whatever feels right without feeling like I'm pushing the boundaries of the rating. Hope you're still enjoying it. Please don't be too mad at me that I've dragged out the drama. I'm jonesin' for some levity too, but I must tell this story as realistically as I see fit. Kind of wish Marc and Amanda were around for this story to provide that comic relief. Oh well… _

_DISCLAIMER: 18 chapters later, __I still don't own Ugly Betty, its characters, or any ideas, concepts, or names originating from the ABC show. What's a girl gotta do?_

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><p>"Hey."<p>

"Hey yourself," he said in return. "You look like something's on your mind. Care to share?"

She looked thoughtfully at him wondering if she ought to tell him what was really going through her head, but somehow could not muster the courage. "Nothing. I just needed some air."

"Alright. Then can I ask you something?" Betty nodded, afraid of where this conversation was going.

"What _are _we, you and I?" His voice was direct but gentle and unintimidating.

"l don't know, Ian. I'm not sure I'm ready to define _us_ just yet," Betty replied.

"Yeah, I noticed. When I referred to you as my 'girlfriend', you tensed up a bit there." Ian said. "Look, Betty, I didn't say that to pressure you. It was just easier than trying to explain to people what we are… or aren't."

Betty kept her gaze on the cars circling Trafalgar Square, but didn't respond.

"It's Daniel, isn't it?" Betty finally turned to face Ian, stunned that he had sensed this. "Betty, I care a great deal about you and I truly think we could be something great together, but I deserve to have my feelings reciprocated." Ian hesitated before he continued. "And so do you. This whole time I thought I was fighting _Daniel_ for you, but after that speech you gave tonight, I've come to realize what was really working against me. It was _you_ and your feelings for him. You need to come to terms with whatever the two of you are and you need to figure that out soon. I just can't go on being your 'safe' choice. Betty, he is _clearly _head-over-heels in love with you and you him. I just can't figure out what you're so afraid of."

"I-I…" Betty was at a loss of words. "Ian, I'm sorry."

"Just do me a favor, would you? Would you please just follow your heart and stop standing on the sidelines?" He kissed her sweetly on the forehead. "You enjoy the rest of your special evening, Doll, and congratulations." Betty watched him get up and walk away, his hands stuffed dejectedly into his pockets.

She knew she should have tried to contradict him or stop him from leaving. She expected to feel more hurt and disappointed than she did, but the truth was, though she hated to admit it to herself, she felt _relieved. _It was one less person tugging at her heartstrings. One less person whose feelings she had to mind. One less heart to break.

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><p>Daniel stood in front of the Human Resources office for several minutes debating whether or not he was actually going to go through with it. He knew it was impossible for him and Betty to continue to work in such close proximity to one another, let alone for him to continue being her subordinate, but it made him feel like such a horrible person and friend to abandon her now. Then again, it was never their plan for him to stay as her assistant on a permanent basis. Betty <em>wanted<em> him to find his lot in life.

This must have been what Betty felt like before she told him about this job here in London. It must have been so difficult to pick up the scissors and cut the cord. And theywere still on good terms back _then_. He suddenly understood how remorseful she must have felt about leaving _MODE. _How could he have been so selfish and bitter towards her? She waited so long to tell him because this is one of the hardest things to tell someone you really care about.

"Daniel?"

"Mr. Dunne. Good morning. I was just, uh… "

"I'm glad I ran into this morning. Could you come into my office for a moment? I'd like to speak with you about something important." Mr. Dunne requested.

Daniel followed his boss into his stately office and took a seat in the chair across from the older gentleman.

"I haven't had a chance to speak to Betty about this yet. I was just on my way there to make the announcement, but I thought I should bring this up to you since I feel you are the one responsible for it." He began.

Daniel's heart began to pound as his mind raced with all the possible things he could have done to cause concern for the company's CEO. "Responsible for what, sir?" he asked nervously. "Did I do something wrong?" Daniel swallowed hard.

Mr. Dunne chuckled. "No, no. Quite the opposite. Daniel, the sales figures came in from the opening week of _Reflect_."

"And?" Daniel prodded, eager to know the results.

"And this was the highest opening sales of all our publications here at Dunne. And I have a strong feeling it has to do with all of the tactics you were using to promote the magazine," he said to Daniel with a smile.

"Oh, I don't know about that." Daniel was trying to appear humble.

"I do. Now, I know that you and Betty are very close and I would hate to break up such a dynamic pair, but with your experience and hidden talents, I think you are suited for far greater things than being an assistant, don't you think?"

"No, I agree completely. In fact, I was just about to pick up termination forms from HR," Daniel admitted.

"Oh, dear! I'm glad I caught you in time! I'd actually like to offer you a different position here at Dunne. In our Marketing and Public Relations department. You would be working with all our publications, including _Reflect_, as well as the company as a whole."

"Really? Wow." Daniel was pleasantly surprised by the job offer when an unsettling thought crossed his mind. "Mr. Dunne, may I be candid about my concerns?"

"Yes, of course."

"This doesn't have anything to do with my being a Meade, does it? I mean, you're not asking me to market Dunne Publications with my name, are you?" Daniel inquired.

"No, of course not. You can work under the name Mary Poppins for all I care. I just don't want such talent to go to waste," Mr. Dunne replied with a dismissive wave.

"My apologies. I didn't mean to insult you in any way. I've just spent my whole life having things come my way because of who my family is. The whole reason I left _MODE_ was to finally earn something on my own merit."

"And that you have. If you want it, that is."

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><p>Betty was at her desk intently redlining several new articles that had been submitted for the next issue. With Daniel having gone AWOL, and Angela splitting her time to lend Betty a hand, work became quite burdensome for her.<p>

There was a gentle knock on her door. "Come in!" she called out.

Her office door creaked open.

"Whatever it is, just drop it in my inbox. I'll get to it later." Betty routinely instructed the visitor without looking up from her work.

"Hi," he said quietly. Betty recognized the voice and looked up immediately.

"Daniel." She said his name reverently. "Umm, come in. Please. Close the door, would you?"

Her heart beat sped up as she got up from her seat and walked around her desk to meet him. She braced herself on the edge of her desk to steady her weak knees.

"I'm sorry I haven't been around lately," Daniel said, avoiding eye contact with her.

"Yeah, I understand. It probably would have been awkward." Betty dug the toe of her shoe into the white shag rug. "But you did a phenomenal job on the launch party. I never got a chance to thank you for that. Everything was just… perfect."

"No biggie. Just doing my job," Daniel said with a nonchalant shrug.

Betty looked him in the eye for the first time. "No, Daniel. That wasn't just an assistant doing his job. That was you being an incredible friend. I can't thank you enough."

"Well, you deserve to have your dreams come true. I just thought you ought to kick it off right." It was awkwardly silent for what felt like a lifetime. Daniel finally cleared his throat to cut the tension. "I guess I shouldn't drag this out much longer, so, umm… I came to give this to you." He handed Betty a piece of paper which she quickly looked over.

"A letter of resignation?... I guess I saw that coming." She tried, in vain, to hide the disappointment in her voice.

"Come on, we both knew I wasn't going to stay your assistant for long anyway. It was a trial, remember?"

"Yeah, I just didn't realize it was going to crash and burn," Betty said. "Speaking of 'burn', you got a lighter I could borrow?" She held up his resignation letter and managed a weak smile.

"Very funny." As some of the tension began to melt away, Daniel added, "I suddenly understand why you took so long to tell me you were leaving _MODE_. This isn't easy, is it?"

"Goodbye never is."

"Who said anything about 'goodbye'?" Daniel cocked his head and attempted to stifle his smile.

Betty eyed him suspiciously. "Okaaay… what's _that_ look all about?"

"Alright, can we just pretend for, like, two minutes that everything okay with us? I could really use 'best friend Betty' right about now."

"Oh, my gosh, yes please!" Betty's shoulders relaxed as she let out a long exhale.

"So, I'm resigning from my position as your assistant, but I'm not leaving Dunne," Daniel informed her.

"Oh no… this is not like the time Hartley hired Matt to be my supervisor just so he could make my life miserable, is it? 'Cause that would be a cruel joke."

Daniel chuckled. "As much as I would enjoy that, I'll actually be upstairs doing P.R. and marketing for all the Dunne publications. We won't be working directly with one another. But I think that might actually be a good thing."

Betty's mood had taken a nose dive. "Wow, when you said 'two minutes' you meant that literally, huh?"

"Betty, look…I've already tried to cut you out of my life once before and I couldn't do it. That's how I ended up here in London. I realized that I would sacrifice anything to have you in my life… even if I have to sacrifice what I want. I would like to be able to be friends again, but I can't pretend that seeing you doesn't hurt. I think you and I just need to follow our own paths for a while and I think it would just be easier to have some space between us."

Betty nodded reluctantly. "I guess you're right." Daniel turned to leave her office. "I'm sorry!"

"What?" Daniel asked, turning back to Betty.

"I never told you I was sorry. I _am_ sorry… for the things I said about you. It was completely out of line and not at all true. I just don't want you to believe that's what I think of you."

"Umm…thank you." Daniel nodded a 'goodbye' before he slipped out the door.

Betty was crestfallen. She had hoped Daniel would respond with _something _– pick another fight, re-declare his love for her, reassure her that they would be always be best friends… just some sort of _passion_ to show he cared about their future. Betty didn't know if they were meant be lovers. She didn't know if she could settle to be just friends. And now they were no longer boss and assistant. Now her worse fear was starting to become a reality – to be nothing at all.

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><p><em>REVIEW, REVIEW!<em>

_A/N: I really wanted Daniel to find that thing he wanted to earn on his own. I didn't want him to just play sad, lovesick puppy following his master around. I wanted to show growth in him as an individual too. :)_


	19. Chapter 19

Three months had gone by since the launch of Reflect and Daniel's promotion. After several failed interviewees, Betty finally decided hiring Angela as her assistant would be the most efficient transition. It was actually working out pretty well. She was a very knowledgeable and ambitious assistant, and even if she wasn't as familiar with Betty's personal needs, she was always in top of her game professionally. Betty and her staff were now hard at work preparing for the fall issue.

Daniel had jumped right into his new position in the marketing department. He had already single-handedly resurrected two of the floundering magazines. Work had become his refuge and his saving grace. Finding something else in his life to focus on and work hard at that was his and his alone - away from the pressures of his family's legacy, Wilhemina's scheming, the judgment of the paparazzi, or the distraction of women - had given him a renewed purpose.

Their respective successes were helping to slowly mend the rift between Daniel and Betty. The gratification they were receiving from their careers was filling some of the void left by their failure at potential romance. Nonetheless, the proverbial elephant in the room still existed and it prevented them from returning to the friends that they once were.

Betty had made some valiant efforts to reconcile with Daniel. She would often attempt to create opportunities to see him or speak to him. She often timed her trips to the elevator to ensure Daniel would be on it as well when she got on. Even when she did this, it was rare that they would have the chance to talk intimately while others shared the ride up, but Betty was satisfied to stand in close proximity to him, smelling his familiar scent, and making small talk.

That morning, Betty did not see Daniel on the elevator. As she bit into an "everything" bagel she had bought and hoped to casually share had she run into to him, she headed to her office, unenthused. What she discovered when she got there both thrilled and disturbed her. Daniel was there at Angela's desk and they were laughing hysterically at something Betty was not privy to.

"…and then he goes, 'Somebody give the girl a sandwich!'" Angela and Daniel both wiped away tears of laughter.

Betty approached hesitantly. "Hey, guys… what's so funny?"

Daniel turned to Betty still letting his amusement taper off. "Oh, nothing. Just a little inside joke."

"Yeah, it was just this thing we saw where this man, he… oh, nevermind. I'm so bad at retelling it. You just had to be there," Angela attempted to explain.

Betty looked awkwardly at the two of them that were clearly in on something she was outside of. "Well, clearly I wasn't… there. So I probably won't get it," she said somewhat bitterly. "Daniel, what brings you back to our neck of the woods? Besides inside jokes about sandwiches, that is."

Daniel, sensing Betty's irritation with them, cleared his throat and responded, "Actually, I came here to speak to you. Can we go into your office?"

"Yeah, of course," Betty beamed. They stepped into her office and Betty shut the door behind them. "So what is it you wanted to talk about?" She asked hopefully.

"So I was thinking…" Daniel began.

"Yes?"

"There is this Breast Cancer Awareness Benefit Ball being put on and I thought _Reflect_ would be the perfect magazine to sponsor the event. Well, at least be one of the sponsors. It would be great exposure for you. And it's a terrific cause that is relevant to your demographics," Daniel informed her.

"Oh," was all Betty replied.

Recognizing her disappointment, Daniel added, "Well, technically, Dunne would be financially backing the sponsorship, but under the title of _Reflect, _of course, but it's a win-win. You wouldn't have to cut into your budget."

"I think that's a great idea, Daniel," Betty conceded. "And we could probably feature an article in our next issue about breast cancer awareness, too. Like, feature cancer survivors or talk about early detection or something."

"Yes! That would be awesome! You're full of great ideas."

"Maybe you should give me a sandwich!" Betty attempted to joke with a hearty swing of her arm.

Daniel gave her a polite smile. "Okay, so then can I go ahead and give this the green light?"

"Yeah."

"Then I will get in touch with the people in charge of the benefit and I'll get back to you with more info later, okay?"

Betty simply nodded as Daniel exited her office. She watched him tap on Angela's desk to get her attention as she talked on the phone and Betty was certain she saw Daniel give Angela a knowing wink.

* * *

><p>For the next few days, Betty was becoming increasingly suspicious that something was going on between Daniel and Angela. In their elevator chit-chats, Daniel would often mention things that Angela had said to him on different occasions. Betty was hyperaware of everything Angela said and did in an attempt to piece together the puzzle.<p>

On one particular occasion, when Betty was fortunate enough to catch Daniel after lunch on an extremely crowded elevator, the two were pressed up tightly against one another.

"Uf! Sorry, crowded elevator," Daniel apologized as his chest pressed up against Betty cheek.

"It's alright. I just wish I didn't have such a big sandwich for lunch," Betty replied, sucking in her body to make room for other passengers.

"You're still trying to figure out that joke, huh?" Betty sensed Daniel's smirk as there wasn't enough room for her to actually look up at his face.

"What? No, I literally meant I had a big sandwich for lunch. What does that even mean, anyway?"

He chuckled and Betty could feel his body vibrating. "It was from this comic act at this new pub that Angela and I checked out a while back. They have open mic nights. Actually, we're thinking of going back after work today. Maybe you should come join us. They have awesome karaoke too. I know how much you love that."

Betty momentarily contemplated the idea. "As fun as that sounds, I don't want to be the third wheel. It's okay. You two should go have fun."

"You wouldn't be the third wheel. A couple other people are coming along too, so you would be like, the _sixth_ wheel or something."

As the crowd started to disperse, floor by floor, Betty regretfully stepped away from Daniel, straightening out her dress. "Umm, sure. Yeah, I'll come join you guys." She stepped out of the elevator on her floor. "Thanks for inviting me."

She returned to her office with a sizeable smile on her face.

"Hi, Angela. Any messages while I was out?" her voice returning to its characteristically chipper tone after a few days' absence.

"Yes, here you go." Angela handed Betty several notes.

"Oh, by the way, Daniel invited me to hang out with you guys at the open mic thingy. Sounds like fun!"

"Oh, you're coming too?" Angela's expression appeared nervous.

"I hope that's okay. He said it was a group thing."

"Yes, of course, it's alright." Angela's tone was unconvincing. "Well, don't forget, you have an editor's meeting in a few minutes."

Betty grabbed a file folder from the organizer on Angela's desk and headed towards the conference room. When she got there, she realized the file she had was not the one she needed for that meeting. She apologized to her editors and headed back to her office to retrieve the correct folder.

By the time she got there, Angela was no longer at her desk, so Betty went into her office to search for the folder she needed herself. She thumbed through a stack on her desk causing several folders to slide off and spill their contents onto the floor.

"Ugh, I'm such a klutz!" Betty knelt down behind her desk to reorganize the mess when she heard someone enter her office.

"…well, _I'm_ not the one that invited Betty." She recognized Angela's voice. Betty took a quick peek over her desk to see Angela hiding out in her office on her cell phone. Betty ducked back under her desk to eavesdrop on the call.

"I'm just not ready for her to know about us yet… well, you might not care about her feelings anymore, but you don't have to see her all the time anymore like I do. She's _my _boss and sort of my friend. I don't want to hurt her… " Betty's heart pounded as she listened in on the conversation. She was certain Angela was talking to Daniel and reprimanding him for having invited Betty. "I have to go. Bye."

_So, are Daniel and Angela __**together**__? Is she trying to keep it a secret? Wait, how am I going to get out of here without Angela seeing me?_ So many thoughts raced through Betty's mind putting her in a panic.

She grabbed her phone from her pocket and texted Angela: _CAN'T FIND PITCH LIST. PLS PRINT NEW COPY & BRING TO CONF. RM._ Betty watched and waited for Angela to check her text, pull up the document on the computer, and get up to retrieve the copy from the printer. As soon as Angela left her desk, Betty got up and booked it back to the conference room before Angela came to deliver it.

* * *

><p>"Hey, Angie. Is Betty with you?" Daniel asked as he rose from his booth seat to allow her to slide in.<p>

"No. She had to finish up a phone call. I gave her the address, so she should be here shortly. I'm starving. Have we ordered any food yet?" Angela said.

"Yeah, I went ahead and ordered the chicken strips you loved last time."

"Oh, that was sweet of you to remember, Daniel." The appetizers and drinks were brought to the table just as a flustered Betty approached the table to join them. Betty took the seat across the table from Daniel.

"Glad you could join us," Daniel greeted her. "Betty, you know Angela and Elise, of course. This is Adam from my department." He gestured to the gentleman sitting next to Betty on the bench. "I'll go get you a drink. Appletini?" Daniel asked.

"Yes, that's perfect. Thank you." Daniel left to order Betty's drink at the bar.

"We've ordered a bunch of appetizers, so you're welcome to dig in," Angela announced over the sound of a woman dressed in all black reciting poetry from the stage.

The five of them sat around the table nibbling finger foods and sipping their drinks for about an hour before a buzzed Betty finally decided she would get on stage and sing along to some karaoke.

"Okay, that does it. We are spectators no more! I'm going to go sing." She slid out of the booth and turned back to her tablemates. "Does anyone have a mint? Those onion rings are pretty strong."

Everyone at the table snickered as Angela dug through her purse to retrieve a mint for her boss. She pulled out her cell phone, her wallet, a tube of lip gloss and several other items in search of her tin container of Altoids. Daniel watched Betty's eyed widen and her expression become serious as she observed the contents of Angela's purse spill out onto the table. Daniel turned his eyes to the random pile next to him. Under a handkerchief peeked a small, flat plastic container that Daniel – and surely, Betty – recognized to be a supply of birth control pills.

"Here they are!" Angela cut in, handing Betty her requested mint. Betty popped the mint into her mouth and left immediately to the karaoke machine. "Is Betty really going to sing?" Angela asked while she packed the items back into her purse.

"Betty? Oh yeah. There's nothing she loves more than some tone-deaf karaoke!" Daniel answered.

"I'd just like to dedicate this song to all my friends sitting at that booth right there. You guys are awesome!" Betty prefaced with drunken happiness. She gripped her microphone and wailed away at her song.

"Wow. She's awfully brave," Angela commented.

"Yeah, that's Betty. Not much can kill her mood."

Angela turned and looked Daniel in the eye. "Do you think I should tell her? You know, _the truth._"

Daniel took a deep, thoughtful breath before he answered. "It's up to you. I know, first hand, that it's hard to work so closely with someone when you have awkwardness in your personal life. When you're ready to handle any potential contention between you, then you'll probably feel better about being honest. I'm sorry I wasn't a little more sensitive about it when I invited her to come."

"_Drew walks by me, can't he tell that I can't breathe?_

_And there he goes, so perfectly,_

_The kind of flawless I wish I could be._

_She better hold him tight, give him all her love_

_Look in those beautiful eyes and know she's lucky 'cause…"_

Betty belted out the song, scratching at her neck nervously, and staring at her table of friends.

"_He the reason for the teardrops on my guitar_

_The only thing that keeps me wishing on a wishing star_

_He's the song in the car I keep singing, don't know whyyyy I do…"_

"Is Betty alright? She keeps scratching. And her face is flushed," Elise observed.

"Well, she is a bit pickled," Adam offered.

Daniel noticed something, besides Betty's key, was a little off with her. He eyed her abandoned plate on the table. She had left a half-eaten chicken strip behind.

"Oh, no no no!" Daniel said in a panic. "These chicken strips are _pecan_-crusted, aren't they?"

"Yes, why?" Angela asked.

"Betty's allergic to pecans! Why did you give them to her?"

"I-I didn't know she was allergic to pecans," Angela stammered.

"You're her assistant. You're _supposed_ to know those kinds of things." Daniel was livid.

"I'm sorry, she never told me." Angela began to cower.

"No, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to get angry at you. I'd better get Betty and take her home." Daniel grabbed Betty's coat and purse then went to meet her as she stepped off the stage.

"Wow, those lights on stage are really hot!" Betty said as she fanned herself with her collar.

"Betty, I think you're having an allergic reaction to pecans. How are feeling? Is your throat okay?" Daniel examined her as he quickly escorted her outside.

"Oh, no! My throat's not too bad, but I'm really hot and itchy. My lips feel a little puffier than normal."

"Do you have your epi-pen with you?" Daniel hailed a cab and helped her in, sliding in next to her.

"I just switched purses and forgot to put it in. What horrible timing!" Betty began to scratch herself more vigorously.

"It's alright. We'll get you home. Just let me know if you are feeling any worse," Daniel said with genuine concern in his voice.

The cab pulled up in front of Betty's building and Daniel helped her to her flat. Following her in for the first time in months, he scanned the room that harbored many memories for them.

"Is it really bad?" Betty asked.

He looked at her and shook his head. "No, it's not too bad, but we should probably find your epi-pen before it worsens."

"You're lying. I can tell. I must look like Quasimodo by now!" Betty went to her bathroom to recover her medication.

"A little. But even anaphylaxis couldn't make you look bad." Betty emerged from the bathroom with the antihistamine and looked at him face-to-swollen face. "Come here. Let me help you with that."

She took a seat next to Daniel on her couch, handing him the pen. He looked at her as if to ask her if she was ready. She nodded slowly.

"Okay, here goes nothing." Daniel tenderly slid the skirt of her dress up to reveal her silky thighs. Knowing this circumstance was far from romantic, he tried his best not to get nervous. He plunged the needle and injected the epinephrine carefully into her leg. Betty winced. "Sorry."

"It's alright. Thank you," Betty said as Daniel removed the needle. He pulled her skirt back down and gently rubbed her thigh in the spot he pricked her.

"Well, hopefully, the itching and swelling will go down in a little bit, but maybe I should just stay with you to make sure you don't get any serious reactions."

"That's really sweet of you, Daniel, but I can't ask you to stay. Please, go back to the pub and have fun."

"Nonsense. You didn't ask. I'm offering to stay with you. I _want_ to stay and make sure you're okay. Why don't you go soak in an oatmeal bath to help with the itching. I'll just hang out here and watch TV," Daniel offered.

"Oatmeal bath, huh? Where'd you learn about that?" Betty smiled at him, touched by his protectiveness.

"It's just something I learned from my mom. She had me take oatmeal baths for a week when I was a kid with chicken pox."

"Mother knows best," Betty joked.

"Yes," Daniel nodded in agreement. "She really does."

* * *

><p><em>Thanks for all your kind reviews! Keep 'em coming!<em>

_A/N: You like how I made an allergic reaction and epinephrine injection romantic? Hahaha Just thought this story needed something silly again._

_DISCLAIMER: __I do not own Ugly Betty, its characters, or any ideas, concepts, or names originating from the ABC show or any rights to the song "Teardrops on my Guitar" by Taylor Swift._


	20. Chapter 20

After the night of her allergy attack, Betty was confused more than ever. Daniel ended up spending the night on her couch while she slept off the discomfort in her bedroom. She was aware, however, of his frequent visits to her room throughout the night to check on her. She felt the soft touch of his hand brushing her hair away to inspect the swelling and the heat of his skin in front of her face when he would check her breathing. The incident really served to open the doors for them to be close again, but the way Betty was feeling about her status with Daniel contended with her deep suspicions about his relationship with Angela – suspicions that were growing stronger each day.

Though Wilhemina would have been proud, Betty was ashamed of the lengths she was starting to take to try and confirm her inklings. She wasn't sure what had possessed her to become so consumed with the possibility that Daniel had moved on. Perhaps it was that they were being so secretive that bothered her. Or maybe it was the fact that it was Betty's assistant that Daniel was interested in. Or, if Betty was not so reluctant to admit to herself, she would conclude that she simply did not want Daniel to move on _from her._

Nonetheless, she found herself spending far too many minutes in her workday snooping and spying around her own assistant. During the lunch hour, while Angela was out getting food, Betty found herself – through no will power of her own – opening up the email on Angela's computer. To her surprise, Angela's personal account was still logged in.

"Amateur," Betty mumbled under her breath as she scrolled through the sent mail. "Bingo."

She double clicked an email addressed to Daniel. Apparently, it was a reply email as Daniel's original message was at the top. It read:

_Angie,_

_Did you get the flowers and balloons I had delivered? Don't worry, I made sure Betty wouldn't see them._

_-D_

Betty face was beginning to heat up as she fought back tears, but she continued reading on to Angela's response:

_Daniel,_

_Yes, I saw them. So beautiful! You are too sweet. Can't wait to see you later!_

_-A_

The tears were burning her eyes, threatening to overflow. She clicked the window close.

"Betty?" Angela's voice caused Betty to jump. "What are you doing at my computer?"

Betty was in panic mode. "Oh, umm, I was just checking my calendar to see what I had this afternoon. My computer keeps freezing up."

"Oh, alright. Well, you have a meeting with Daniel upstairs right after lunch to go over the details of the Breast Cancer event. We just got back from lunch, so if you want to go now, he should be there."

"Thank you, Angela. I think I will," Betty replied as she got up to leave.

* * *

><p>"…so I have two breast cancer survivors and one daughter of a breast cancer victim lined up for interviews. I'd like to invite them to attend the ball if we can get extra tickets for them and their families," Betty discussed with Daniel as they got up to end their meeting.<p>

"I'm sure that would be fine. I don't think they'd have any problem with that."

Betty stopped in front of the elevator before she got in to return to her floor. "Well, I guess that's it then. Just keep me posted."

"I'll walk with you back to your office and say 'hi' to Angie for a sec," Daniel said.

Betty bit her bottom lip to try and avoid showing any judgment on her face. Daniel was the only person who referred to Angela as "Angie" and the endearing pet name was a bit much for Betty to take; although, Angela definitely did not seem to mind the liberty Daniel had taken with her name. Betty was just thankful Angela hadn't taken to calling him "Danny."

"Didn't you just see her at lunch?" Betty inquired with annoyance.

"Uhh, yeah…but,uhh…I forgot to tell her something," he responded nervously.

"Then you go right ahead and say 'hi'," Betty responded with mock enthusiasm. "Go make out on the desk, for all I care," she added under her breath.

"Did you say something?" Daniel asked.

"Umm, no, I was just talking to myself. I just said I was going to, uh… _take out_ the drawers from _my desk_. They're old and rickety. They keep getting stuck," she scrambled.

Daniel looked at her with skepticism, but proceeded to walk with her towards her office.

"Hi, Daniel! It's always nice to see you down here!" Angela stood up to greet him, caressing his arm and squeezing his biceps. "Betty, Editorials is waiting for you to start the meeting in the conference room."

"Meeting? What meeting? I don't remember seeing that on my calendar," Betty argued.

"It was on the calendar on _my_ computer," Angela insisted.

"Okay, okay, I'll go." Betty headed to the meeting, leaving Daniel to Angela, and certain this meeting was Angela's way of having alone time with him.

Betty swung the door of the conference room open, prepared to find her Editorials department waiting impatiently for her.

"SURPRISE!" The room full of people shouted. Betty gaped at everyone in shock as Daniel and Angela came up behind her like excited little children. The room was filled with balloons, flowers, and all the employees at _Reflect._

"Happy Birthday, Betty!" Angela and Daniel both hugged her from behind.

Betty was still stunned, trying to process the elaborate set up that had gone on without her knowledge. She had been so fixated on trying to out Daniel and Angela's relationship, that she hardly noticed decorations coming through her office or the fact that the entire floor had been practically desolate when she came back down with Daniel.

"How did you guys put this all together?"

"We snuck it in through the back of the office mostly, but let me tell you, getting 50 balloons and 8 dozen gerbera daisies up that tiny service elevator is no easy feat!" Daniel informed her.

"Right. _Flowers and balloons_," Betty mumbled to herself. "But, my birthday isn't for a couple more days."

Angela put her arms around Betty's shoulders. "Yes, but we won't be here on Sunday, so we're celebrating a little early. Come on, let's go have some cake!"

Betty walked into the conference room turned party hall, overwhelmed by the outpouring of love from her staff as they all greeted her with sincere birthday wishes.

"Happy early Birthday, Betty," a familiar voice said behind her.

"Ian? Wow, I'm surprised to see you here." Betty gave him a tentative but polite hug.

"Yes, Angela invited me. I hope it's alright." He handed Betty a small box with a purple bow.

"Of course it's alright. It's nice seeing you again." Betty looked down at the gift he had given her.

"Open it," Ian said. "It's just a small thing, but I didn't want to come without a gift for you."

Betty opened the lid to reveal a shiny gold pen with an inscription that read, "_Let your dreams REFLECT you."_

"Thank you, Ian. It's really thoughtful and sweet. I love it." Betty gave him a quick peck on the cheek.

"Hey! You can't just open _one_ gift! C'mon, Betty! There are plenty more to open!" Elise called out.

Betty sat at the head of the table opening gifts that the staff placed in front of her one by one. She got several gift cards, a gift basket of pastries, a few mugs with work-related messages, and a small karaoke machine from Angela. Daniel handed her one last envelope from him. Betty slid her finger under the flap and tore it open.

"Tickets for 'Wicked'?" Betty responded with excitement.

"Yeah, since I sort of got you kicked out of the theater the last time," Daniel said bashfully. "Maybe this time you can stay 'til the end. And you can bring whoever you want." Betty got up to give Daniel a hug.

"Thank you, everyone. This was all just so amazing!" Betty announced as she looked around the room. "Oh! Let me get a picture! I'll be right back to get my camera. Nobody leave!"

Betty shuffled back to her office to retrieve her camera from her desk. On her way back, she was passing the doors to the restrooms when she heard a familiar voice speaking in hushed tones from the ladies' restroom.

"_I'm so glad you are here. Thank you for what you did for Betty. It was really sweet of you. Things seem okay between you two now. I think I might be ready to tell her about us soon."_

As Betty stood with her ear pressed to the outside of the door, she debated whether she should walk in (casually, of course), and force Angela to come clean or wait for her to be ready. Betty knew that the best thing was to wait for Angela and Daniel to come to her, but as with everything else regarding those two, she just couldn't seem to keep her wits about her. She had become completely irrational and before she knew it, she had her fingers wrapped around the door handle and began to pull it open.

The next thing she knew, Betty was inside the ladies' room, witnessing the two of them locked in a passionate kiss.

"Oh, my god!"

* * *

><p>After Betty's surprise party - and the drama that subsequently ensued - came to an end, everyone disseminated back to their respective tasks. Daniel returned to his office five floors up. As he was typing up an advertising proposal, he heard the tap of high-heeled shoes approaching and he looked up to find Betty hesitantly standing in his doorway.<p>

"Hey, you. Come on in," he beckoned. "What'd you need?"

"So I just took a closer look at these tickets you gave me and they're for the Gershwin Theater," Betty pointed out.

"Oh, are they?" Daniel asked sarcastically. He reached into his desk drawer and pulled out another envelope. He slid it across his desk to Betty.

Betty opened it gingerly and her face lit up when she saw its contents. "Daniel, this is a plane ticket to New York… for Christmas! This is way too much."

"Eh, just consider it your Christmas gift. And whatever I give you then will be your Hanukkah gift," he replied with a shrug.

"But we're not Jewish." Daniel chuckled.

"So, are we going to talk about what happened earlier?" he asked suddenly.

"Do we have to?" Betty buried her face in her hands and groaned.

"You ran off and locked yourself in your office so fast we didn't have a chance to talk. I was sort of wondering how you felt about it."

"Well, my eyes are still burning, for one thing. Otherwise, it's a little awkward. I'm not going to lie. But I guess I'm mostly hurt that you guys didn't tell me and I had to find out the way that I did." Betty sighed in surrender.

"Yeah, I'm sorry about that. There's nothing I hate more than keeping secrets from you, but it wasn't really my place to tell you. Angela was just waiting for the right time to tell you about Ian," Daniel explained.

"You want to know the funny thing? For a while, I actually suspected _you_ were dating Angela!" Betty admitted.

"_Me?_ Why would you even think that?"

Betty shrugged. "I don't know. You guys were spending a lot of time together and…"

"And?" Daniel prodded, intrigued by Betty's admission.

"And I may have overheard some things that _sounded_ like she was talking to you, that's all."

Daniel laughed causing Betty to blush profusely. "Well, as much as I find assistants to the Editor-in-Chief extremely sexy, Angela has never been anything more than a good friend to me."

"So you think they're sexy, hmm? Who do you think is sexier, Nick Pepper or Marc?"

* * *

><p><em>AN: Whew! It feels so good to write about happy Daniel and Betty again. And I'm super relieved to have the Angela/Ian thing revealed! Alright, show of hands – who called it? Lol_

_ Just want to thank those of you who are still following this story and being patient with me, especially those who have been leaving feedback. I love knowing what your thoughts are. Sometimes it helps me sort out ideas when I know how you're interpreting and responding to it. Please keep reviewing! Thanks!_

_DISCLAIMER: The only thing I own is Ian and Angela (and a few other members of Reflect) and quite frankly, they're worthless…_


	21. Chapter 21

_**A/N:** This chapter is a rewrite._

_After hearing some buzz about the powers that be on this site deleting many overly explicit stories and possibly even removing all rated 'M' content from the site altogether (which would be rash, unreasonable, and completely unnecessary), I've decided to start covering my bases a little by eliminating the sordid details in this chapter. I've opted for the 'fade to black' tactic. Hope it's still ok. Truth be told, I personally like it better this way. Sits a little better in my conscience. I just hate what prompted me to do so. I may be making a few more changes to the story to get out of the 'grey area'._

_**DISCLAIMER:** Usually I just cut and paste my original disclaimer here, but I don't want to ruin the mood. You get it._

* * *

><p>There was a light knock on the door. Betty put down her toiletries bag and went to answer her door.<p>

"Daniel! Hey, what are you doing here so late?" She stepped aside to let him into her flat.

"I'm sorry. You weren't sleeping, were you?"

"No, I'm just packing for my trip home," Betty said as she walked back to her bedroom with Daniel close behind. _"Home._ Wow, that feels really good to say. So what brings you by?"

Daniel held out Betty's scarf. "Oh, you left this in the cab after the Benefit Ball. Figured you would probably need it in New York."

"Thanks, but I have, like, ten other scarves to choose from. You didn't _have_ to come all the way here to bring it." Betty folded the scarf and placed it into her suitcase.

"Then maybe I just wanted to say 'goodbye' before you left." Daniel picked up a blouse from the pile of clothes strewn haphazardly on her bed and folded it neatly, handing it to Betty to pack. He took a seat on the edge of her bed continuing to assist her with the tedious task.

"I can't thank you enough for the ticket home. It's the best birthday gift ever."

"_Christmas_ gift. Don't get greedy now," he joked.

Betty paused to survey his face – his deep blue eyes, his crooked smirk, the smile lines next to his eyes. She had missed him looking at her like that, like he was happy to see her. Her stomach did a flip-flop.

After the rollercoaster they had been through the past few months in London, she realized there was one thing that had remained constant –_Daniel_. He supported her, protected her, and knew her better than anyone else. She wasn't sure what was standing in their way. Perhaps she was just afraid and her fight-or-flight response had kicked into overdrive. But she didn't want to fight with him anymore, and she needed him too much to flee. Now, she was just at a standstill. She supposed fear of giving her heart and trust away completely to someone whose track record showed she would only get hurt was a valid enough reason to stand still. Only now she didn't know if _he_ had walked away.

"So when do you plan on going back to visit New York?" Betty asked, tossing her makeup and toothbrush into her toiletries bag.

"Funny you should ask," Daniel said as he twirled a pair of black lace panties around his finger.

"Hey, give me those!" Betty quickly grabbed it out of his hand and tucked it into her suitcase. "What? Are you flying home for the holidays too?"

"Actually…" Daniel segued. "Lindsey Dunne just proposed a new position for me." Betty stopped packing her things and took a seat across the bed to give him her undivided attention. "He really wants to expand the distribution of Dunne Publications in the U.S. He's invited me to work in the New York office to head the promotions."

"So you're going to be _moving_ back to New York?" Betty asked worriedly.

"I don't know. I haven't given him an answer yet."

"Really? Why not? That's an incredible opportunity and it's _in New York. _What's to think about?" Betty pointed out.

Daniel paused thoughtfully. "Well, my rehearsed answer is that I'm a little nervous to go back to New York and work for a company besides Meade – conflict of interests and all."

"And your real answer?" Betty was silently praying that Daniel would give her the 'in' she needed to let down her guard.

Daniel busied himself with folding Betty's clothes to avoid making eye contact with her. "And the _real_ answer is that… I'm not sure I'm ready to let you go."

There it was. There was the cue she was waiting for. Daniel looked up to check her reaction.

Betty pounced across her bed, grabbing at his shirt, pulling him in, and kissing him with every fiber of her being. He fervently returned the favor, cupping her face in his hands and turning her over onto the pillow. Betty's arms flailed at her sides as she attempted to push away the piles of clothing she was meaning to pack. She inhaled every kiss as if she needed to compensate for the time they had lost and save up for their uncertain future. Their hands grasped frantically at the other's clothes when Daniel stopped and pulled away.

"Betty…" Daniel whispered, gasping for a breath.

"Please, don't stop," Betty pulled herself up to him continuing to kiss up his neck and nipping at his earlobe.

Daniel groaned, turning his head to drink in one more kiss before he pulled away yet again. "Betty, are you sure about this? I don't want to do anything you may regret later."

Betty looked up at him with doe eyes, her chest heaving from the loss of breath. "I love you, Daniel. No regrets."

Daniel smiled down at her and tenderly brushed her hair away from her face. He planted a gentle kiss on her forehead, then the tip of her nose, and finally back to her lips. Their pace slowed down significantly as they savored every second they had together.

"I love you, too," Daniel's ragged voice whispered before they both gave into their long-suppressed desires.

* * *

><p>The sun streamed through Betty's bedroom window coaxing her into awake. She smiled to herself knowing that the warmth she felt behind her was the presence of the man she loved in her bed. Daniel stirred out of his own slumber and immediately wrapped his arm around her waist and kissed her bare shoulders.<p>

"Mmmm…" Betty responded to his touch. "Good morning."

"Yes it is," Daniel said as he nuzzled the back of her ear. "What time is it?"

Betty grabbed her phone off the nightstand and checked the time. "8:15." She casually placed her phone back on the nightstand then immediately shot up in bed. "Oh, my gosh, it's _8:15!_" Betty held the jumble of blanket around her as she frantically sifted through the mess of clothing she was supposed to have packed looking for something she could wear.

"What? Oh! What time is your flight?" Daniel sat up in search of his boxers.

"You should know, you bought the ticket for me! My flight leaves at 8:45!" She spotted her underwear a few feet away on the floor. Gripping the blanket around her, she quickly lunged forward to retrieve her clothing, dragging Daniel to the floor still tangled up in the other half of the blanket.

"Oww!" he yelped as his rear hit the hard wooden floor.

"Sorry!" Betty called out while she untwisted herself from the sheets. After she clumsily jumped into her pants and threw on a wrinkled sweater, she arbitrarily tossed the explosion of clothes into her suitcase and zipped it shut.

Daniel suited up as quickly as he could and followed Betty out the door. "Hold up! I'm coming with you to the airport!"

They both stepped into the cab headed for Heathrow Airport, racing to try to make it in time for Betty's flight. During the cab ride, Betty reached down for Daniel's hand and laced her fingers with his. She brought their hands to her lips and tenderly kissed the back of his hand.

"Last night was… _amazing,"_ Betty assured him.

"_You_ were amazing," he retorted, then whispered, "Best. Night. Ever."

"Please," Betty rolled her eyes.

"You weren't kidding about those thighs of steel!" Daniel nibbled at her neck causing Betty to try and stifle her moan. "But in all seriousness, that was literally the best night."

"I think your father would be disappointed in you, Daniel Meade."

"Huh?" Daniel leaned back and looked at her as if she just killed the mood.

"There you go again, sleeping with your assistant. And he thought he hired me to be the antidote," Betty jested.

"It's been four and a half years since he hired you. I think it's safe to say the statutes of limitations have expired," Daniel reasoned. He narrowed his eyes at her and added, "Besides, I don't think he knew how freaky you could be."

"Shut up!" Betty hit him playfully on the chest.

"We're here at the airport," the cab driver announced. "Would you like me to find a place to pull in or would you like to just step out here?"

"Here's fine!" Betty called out as she was halfway out the door. Daniel tossed the driver a handful of bills and chased down Betty.

"Betty, wait!" Daniel peered at his watch. "It's already 8:50. You missed your flight."

"Well, I think it's a good thing that you missed your flight. Now we have a couple more hours to spend together." Daniel closed the copy of _Sports Illustrated_ he was skimming. "Maybe we can join the Mile High Club," he said, wagging his eyebrows at Betty.

"Daniel, you do realize that you actually have to be on a plane and in the air to be in the _Mile High _Club, right?"

"Oh. Then I guess I'm already in that club," he said casually.

Betty shook her head at him. "Please don't remind me about your colorful history."

She giggled as Daniel kissed her neck and tickled her face with his lashes.

"Hey, so if you have sex in Denver, Colorado, are you technically in the Mile High Club?" Daniel asked innocently. Betty laughed as she playfully slapped his arm. "Well, I don't care at what altitude I do it, as long as it's with you."

"Then why don't we go do it in New York later? It's not too late to try and get a flight," Betty propositioned.

"I wish. Mr. Dunne has me working every day this week except Christmas. I thought Europeans were a little more laid back." Daniel found a single open seat in the crowded airport and pulled Betty to his lap.

"So have you thought any more about his job offer?" Betty asked him.

"Yup! And after last night, there's no way I'm moving back to New York. I'm going to call him later and turn it down," Daniel said decisively.

"Daniel…" She looked at him longingly. He was so close and yet felt miles away. "You have to take it. It's what you came to London for. You needed to find your own path and earn your own way. I can't take that away from you."

"I came to London for _you_."

Betty shook her head. "I can't carry that burden of being your sole purpose and your reason for doing things. I feel like you would resent me down the road."

"I could never resent you, Betty."

"Really? Because you just spent five of the past six months resenting me."

"Yeah. You got me there." Daniel hung his head. "Betty, I just don't see how following a job is any less detrimental than following you. In the end, I'm just following my heart."

"Daniel, you know how we only started mending our relationship _after_ you stopped being my assistant and took that other position? I think it's because you needed to feel secure in yourself. You have a lifetime's worth of issues to overcome and I'm not the fix-all."

He examined her deep brown eyes and saw the honesty and sincerity that no one in his life, besides Betty, ever had with him. He wrapped his arms tightly around her waist and buried his head in her chest.

"I hate that you know me better than I know myself," he said regretfully, his voice muffled by her sweater.

She kissed the top of his head then lifted his chin to meet his lips.

"So where does that leave us?" Daniel asked.

"It leaves me in London and you in New York. Back to square one."


	22. Chapter 22

_A/N: So sorry I took a while to update. I had to rework the ending quite a bit and I've been sick the past few days. It's kind of tough to follow up the last chapter, so I apologize if this one feels a little choppy. It's a little difficult to write longer segments with them being in different countries and all._

_Thanks to **boidwriter** for helping me with some suggestions for connecting my story! Wouldn't have gotten over the block without you!_

* * *

><p><strong>-3 weeks later-<strong>

"Daniel! Stop!" Betty screamed between giggles.

Daniel continued to pin her down and tickle her. "Take it back!"

"Okay, okay! You're _not_ a pack-rat and I promise I won't call _Hoarders_ on you!" Daniel took his hands away and pushed himself off of her. "But seriously, why do you have all this stuff? You've only lived here for six months!"

"I like to call it 'being sentimental'," he said defensively.

"But really? Five copies of your last issue of _MODE?_ I don't think I've ever known you to read that many issues of _MODE_ the entire time you were Editor-in-Chief there," Betty said as she dumped the magazines into a moving box.

"I didn't read a single one of those either. I was just trying to keep them away from you," Daniel replied.

"Yeah, instead you printed 35 copies of the one page you didn't want me to see. How'd that work out for you?" she teased.

"Actually, it worked out great." Daniel grabbed Betty by the hips and pulled her in for passionate kiss. His hands began to roam under her shirt when Betty pulled herself away.

"Come on, Daniel. You're leaving in two days and you haven't finished packing. No time for hanky panky!"

"How come, when it was _your_ turn to pack, you got to take a break to jump my bones?" Daniel pouted.

"_I_ was only packing for a weeklong vacation. _You're _packing to leave for good." Her words hovered in the air, changing the mood drastically.

The two of them stood there staring at each other knowing that, soon, they would have to face the reality of their imminent separation. Betty sat down on the couch and Daniel followed.

"I guess it's finally starting to sink in, huh?" Daniel took Betty's hand in his.

"How is this going to work, me and you?" Betty asked vulnerably.

"We'll make it work. That's what we're good at. We'll call or Skype every night, okay?" Betty nodded reluctantly as Daniel leaned over to kiss her on the cheek. "Mmm… but _this_ I'm going to miss."

Daniel continued to plant kisses all over her and they made love one last time on his half-empty living room floor.

* * *

><p>"<em><strong>Well, well, well. The prodigal son has returned to the mainland, but what's this? He's not heading back to the henhouse? Daniel Meade, seen here in a faaabulous Valentino suit, is entering, oh no, not his family's Meade Empire, but dun-dun-DUNNE! The magazine mogul has jumped shipped and word has it, he's there doing double-agent duties. Rawrr! Nothing turns me on like a well-dress, debonair spy. Meade. Daniel Meade. We're watching you."<strong>_

"Did you see that _Fashion Buzz_ segment? That's completely ridiculous," Daniel protested over the phone to Betty.

"Welcome back to Kansas, Dorothy," Betty replied. "Back to the wonderful world of idle gossip and relinquished privacy. I thought you'd be used to it by now."

"Yeah, but now this could affect my _job_ if Dunne catches wind and thinks I'm here to sabotage the company!"

"He wouldn't think that, Daniel. He knew who he was hiring and he pursued you. If he thought you might be a threat, he wouldn't have put you in charge 3,000 miles away," Betty reassured him.

"You're right. God, I miss you so much. I would lose my mind if I didn't have you to rein me in from time to time." Daniel finished packing up his briefcase and locked it shut.

"I miss you too. This bed feels so empty without you here." Betty pouted her lips and sighed heavily.

"Alright, I have to get to a business meeting right now. You have a good night and sweet dreams, okay? I love you, Baby." Daniel made his way down the hall and pressed the call button for the elevator.

"Good afternoon and good luck! I love you, Daniel." Betty hung up regretfully, put her glasses on the nightstand then pulled the covers over herself to go to sleep.

This routine kept up for a few weeks. Because of the five hour time difference, at least one, if not both, of them was at work when they'd have their daily chats. It made their conversations short and their work days suffered a bit, but it was all they could manage to try and stay in touch on a daily basis.

* * *

><p><strong>-2 months later-<strong>

Betty and Daniel had actually kept their promise to talk every day for a few weeks. Then slowly, one day would go by with no time for a call, then work took over a couple more days a week, and eventually, they were reduced to sending quick texts and Skyping on weekends.

The distance was really beginning to take its toll on their relationship. They longed to have the physical intimacy that was short-lived before Daniel's departure. On the days when work was tough, they needed the other there to pick them up and keep them going. It was difficult not knowing much about the one person they knew best.

As much as Betty hated visiting the _Fashion Buzz_ website out of her own volition, it was how she kept up with Daniel's whereabouts most days.

"_**Daniel Meade, our former resident playboy, has been flying low on our play-dar. Some say he's been off the market while he courts former assistant, Betty Suarez, who's gone from freaky to chic-y since her Mode days. But here's a photo we caught of him recently entering a club with one of New York's most eligible and sought after bachelorettes, Miss Nicole Ashton. He may be off the market, folks, but with his alleged squeeze all the way across the pond, it looks like our playboy may be back on the black market."**_

She didn't know what bothered her more – the unflattering photo of her in her infamous red poncho next to a photo from her launch party or that of Daniel escorting the young heiress into a nightclub. She knew there was probably a reasonable explanation for the incident, but she couldn't completely suppress the insecurity that was welling up inside her. After all, Nicole Ashton was beautiful, in Daniel's social class, and most importantly, _in New York._

Betty tried her best to talk herself out of becoming the green-eyed girlfriend. There was no way Daniel would have gone through all the trouble that he did to win over Betty's heart just to throw it away on a meaningless fling, right? The thoughts that Betty had intended to give herself comfort only drove the doubt to the pit of her stomach. If _this_ version of Daniel Meade were looking for someone to replace Betty, he wasn't looking for a meaningless fling. He would be searching for someone real and serious who wouldn't put her career ahead of their relationship.

* * *

><p>Daniel knew that the publicity stunt he pulled with Nicole was a risky idea. He knew he should have told Betty about it before it showed up in the media, but he could hear her voice telling him it was a bad idea – probably something about pimping himself out to the paparazzi just to sell magazines. The thing was, it was the very thing he didn't want out of working for Dunne – to use his name to gain interest and yet, here he was again, allowing the notoriety he had worked so hard to shed facilitate sales.<p>

He wasn't proud of the person he was without Betty around and he wasn't going to lie to himself and say that he didn't enjoy the close company of a female the other night. He knew he needed to see Betty and he needed to see her soon. Betty was like a mirror to him. He couldn't tell who he was without her around. Without her there to keep him in check, he'd always find himself at an impasse, unrecognizable.

As he went through his email inbox that morning, he came across an email from Lindsay Dunne. He was inviting Daniel to a three-day marketing summit being held in London in two weeks. Daniel's face lit up. It was the perfect opportunity to see Betty and recalibrate himself. He immediately began making arrangements for his trip to London.

* * *

><p>Betty fumbled for her house keys as she stood outside her door dripping wet from the cold rain. It had been one of the worst days of work – stacks of articles to redline, advertisers pulling out, a broken copy machine, a rained out cover shoot, and an editor being accused of sexual harassment amongst other issues. She wanted nothing more than to call Daniel and vent her day's frustration, but he was on a flight to Los Angeles for some convention he never bothered to specify. He never felt further away.<p>

"Dang it! Where are my stupid keys?" Betty gave up the excavation of her oversized purse and lifted her doormat for the spare only to find that it was not where she last put it. Her heart began to race wondering if she had forgotten to put it back the last time she needed to use it or if someone else had found her secret – albeit, common – hiding place.

She dumped the contents of her purse out onto the floor until she found her keys and cautiously let herself into her flat. She looked around to see if anything had been moved or taken, but as far as she could tell, there was no sign of anyone having been there. She continued to tiptoe her way through the living room and into the hall, toward her bedroom door, gripping her umbrella in preparation for whatever or whoever she might find.

Suddenly, her bedroom door opened and the dark figure of a tall man stood before her. Without hesitation, Betty swung the umbrella at his head repeatedly, drops of leftover rain flying everywhere.

"Ow! Ow! Uf! Betty! BETTY!" the man's voice shouted as he cowered against the wall.

Betty lowered the umbrella. "Daniel? Daniel! What are you doing here?" Betty shouted furiously. She paused a moment, realizing that he was actually there. "Daniel! Oh my gosh! What are you doing here?" Her voice changed to a pleasantly surprised tone as she threw her arms around his neck and wrapped her legs around him.

He returned her embrace holding her up off the ground then planted a solid kiss on her lips.

Once he pulled away, he was reminded of the throbbing pain in his temples. "Oh, for goodness' sakes, Betty, have you been practicing at the batting cages or something? Geez, I think I'm bleeding."

"I'm sorry. I thought you were some perpetrator. You didn't tell me you were coming!" She reached up to examine the small gash she left on the side of his head. "Come to the bathroom. I'll clean that up for you."

Daniel followed her as she pulled in to her bathroom. Betty gasped as she entered. Daniel had placed lit candles all over the bathroom and filled the tub with bubbles and rose petals. "Well, this isn't exactly how I pictured your homecoming, but I wanted to surprise you with something romantic," Daniel said as he pressed a wad of toilet paper to his wound.

"I love it and I can't wait to hop in with you, but do you want to tell me what you're doing back in London? I thought you had some convention to attend in L.A. Come here." Betty dabbed his cut with antiseptic wipes.

"Technically, I only half lied." Daniel winced from the sting. "I do have a marketing convention to attend, but it's here in London. I just wanted to surprise you." He grabbed her by the waist and pulled her in.

"Aww! Well, you just made my horrible day so worth it." Betty leaned it to share an intense and prolonged kiss with him, running her fingers through his hair. When they finally managed to pull themselves apart, Betty whispered, "Snoopy or Princess?"

"I'm sorry, what?" Daniel replied in confusion.

"Those are the only kind of bandages I have. Pick one."

* * *

><p>"Wow, you are full of knots," Daniel said as he massaged her neck and shoulders in the bubble bath they were sharing.<p>

"Ugh. Work has just been awful lately!" Betty replied.

"So tell me the story behind _this_ one." Daniel worked at a knot in her shoulder.

"That is from the loss of two important advertisers this week."

"And who is the bastard that gave you _this_ knot here?" he asked as he methodically rubbed his thumb into her shoulder blade.

"That sucker is courtesy of Michael, in Features, who has been making inappropriate advances toward his assistant."

Daniel moved to a knot in the curve of her neck. "And this one?"

"That one? That pain in the neck is my long-distance boyfriend that keeps getting caught frolicking with beautiful women on celebrity gossip shows," Betty responded passive-aggressively.

Daniel's hands froze. "Yikes. You saw that, huh?" Daniel reconvened his massaging in attempt to assuage Betty's annoyance with him. "You hadn't mentioned it in the past couple weeks, so I was hoping that maybe you were avoiding _Fashion Buzz_ and _Page Six_."

"I hadn't mentioned it because I was giving you the benefit of the doubt and the chance to tell me yourself." Her voice had only a slight edge to it. She turned to face him. "Daniel, I really want to trust you, but the distance means that we need to communicate better. When something like this comes up, I will believe your explanation… but _only_ if you give me one. If you let me assume, I'll assume. And it might not be pretty."

Daniel leaned back and hung his head over the back of Betty's clawfoot tub. He let out an exasperated sigh.

"I don't know, honestly. It's like, being in New York is a whole other ballgame. Here in London, I just did my job and that's all that mattered – doing my job and doing it well. Back home, I have a reputation. Or at least I _had _a reputation and I feel like, without that, I'm nothing. No one takes Daniel seriously unless I matter to the public."

"Daniel, you know that's not true. You are talented and intelligent. You don't need to be in the public eye, pimping yourself, just to sell magazines." Betty rubbed his thigh under the water.

"See? I _knew_ you'd say that! That's why I didn't want to tell you. I can't stand you being disappointed in me."

"I'm not disappointed in you, Daniel. I just can't figure out why you think you need to create scandal and intrigue completely unrelated to your work in order to do your job. You're better than that. Is it even about your job and your sales or is it about _you?_"

Daniel lifted his head to look skeptically at Betty. "Me? What do _I_ have to gain from having Suzuki St. Pierre making up gossip about me?"

Betty shrugged. "To be relevant?"

Her words stung him. Not because they were mean or scathing, but because, as usual, her insight was on point. She scooted closer to him, straddling her legs on either side of his. She pulled his face close to hers. "You are completely relevant to me. But if you want, I can personally call up Suzuki and let him know how much you rock my polka-dot socks."

"Oh, you'd do that, huh?" He picked a rose petal out of her hair.

Betty smiled flirtatiously at Daniel. "Well, I would, but to be honest, it's been so long, I really can't remember what it was like."

"Well, if my reputation is on the line, then I should probably do whatever it takes to remind you."

* * *

><p><em>Please REVIEW! Thanks!<em>

_DISCLAIMER: __I do not own Ugly Betty, it__s characters, or any ideas, concepts, or names originating from the ABC show._


	23. Chapter 23

_AUTHOR'S NOTE: I'm so sorry for the delay! Between the holidays and my brain fart, I was having a lot of trouble wrapping this thing up. But here goes the home stretch! I'm so apprehensive about this because I'm just not very good at conclusions. There's one more chapter after this. Thanks again for following and reviewing!_

_DISCLAIMER: __I do not own Ugly Betty, it__s characters, or any ideas, concepts, or names originating from the ABC show._

* * *

><p>"Well, airfares for Easter weekend are pretty pricey, but it's no big deal. I'll buy your ticket," Daniel offered as he and Betty tried making plans over the phone.<p>

"I don't think I can do that weekend. We have a big photo shoot on the following Monday for our Spring cover," Betty replied.

"Betty, it's just the weekend. You can be back in time for work on Monday," Daniel tried to reason.

"I don't know… that's pushing it."

Daniel let out an exasperated sigh. "Betty, we've gone over a dozen different options and it's always the same excuse. Work can't be your whole life."

"I'm sorry, Daniel. If you think work is so easy to get out of, why don't you just come out here?"

"I was the last one to visit you, but that's not the point. Your family and friends are here too."

Angela walked into Betty's office and handed Betty a stack of articles to look over. "Hi, Daniel!" Angela called out as Betty took the stack of papers and balanced the phone on her shoulder.

Betty politely smiled and waved her off.

"I know that, Daniel, but this job is my life. I can't just abandon my duties to go gallivanting about New York City." Betty bit off the cap of her red pen and began redlining the articles she had been given.

"That's all this is? _'Gallivanting'?_" Daniel couldn't hide the hurt in his voice.

Betty put down her pen for a moment. "That's not what I meant, Daniel, and you know it. Look, I have to meet with Mr. Dunne in a minute to go over finances."

"Right, back to work," he replied bitterly.

"Don't do this, Daniel. Don't try to guilt-trip me. You called me while I was at work. What did you expect?"

"You know what, Betty? I get it. I get that working at that magazine has just taken over your whole life, but the rest of us can't continue to exist only in your periphery. If there's no room in your life for us, then maybe we just need to take a break," Daniel finally blurted out.

"What are you trying to say, Daniel?" Betty began to cower to his threat.

"I'm saying that we can't continue on like this with me in New York and you in London. I've offered to stay in London, but you wouldn't have it. If you have no plans to come back, then I don't know what we're doing here. We don't have a future 3,000 miles apart."

"Is that an _ultimatum_?" Betty asked resentfully. "Are you threatening to break up with me if I don't choose you over my career?"

"No. I'm saying that you've already chosen."

"Daniel, you promised me that we were going to make this work," Betty said fighting back the tears.

"And I did my part, but let's get real. _This_ isn't going to work forever," Daniel's voice was rising as his agitation surfaced. "I'm tired of waiting for you to meet me halfway."

"Daniel…" she was on the verge of begging.

"Look, you have a meeting to get to, so why don't we just table this and take little break for a while. Figure out what we really want. Bye, Betty." Daniel hung up the phone, half regretting being so audacious with her. He knew he couldn't take the words back, but he didn't seem to have her one way or the other.

* * *

><p>Betty reached blindly for her phone on the nightstand. "Why is Daniel calling me at three in the morning?" She hit 'talk' on her phone and groggily answered. "Daniel, you better not be drunk dialing me 'cause I have a meeting first thing in the morning. I don't have time for this."<p>

"No, Betty. I'm not drunk. It's about your dad," he said solemnly.

Betty sat up quickly in bed, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. "Papi? What about him? Is he okay?" she asked frantically.

"Umm… no. Well, he's okay for now. We're at the hospital, Betty. Your father had another mild heart attack – "

"Oh my gosh! What happened? How is he?" Her heart felt like it was in her stomach as she helplessly grasped for some reassurance that her father was fine.

"Betty, calm down. We were at the house having dinner and he recognized the symptoms right away, so we were able to get him to the hospital in time. He's stable, but feeling very weak. They sedated him just to make sure he rests," Daniel answered, his voice calm and even.

"Thank God," Betty said with mixed relief and sadness. "Daniel, I need to come see him. I'm going to the airport right away."

Betty was already out of bed and pulling her suitcase out of her closet.

"I figured you would. I went ahead and got you a flight that leaves first thing in the morning."

Betty paused her frenzied packing. "Thank you, Daniel. That was really generous of you. I'll pay you back for the ticket when I get there."

"Don't worry about it. Just try not to miss your flight this time. Your dad will be glad to see you. So, umm… your ticket should be ready to print. Just check your email."

"Thanks again, Daniel. Will you still be at the hospital when I get there?" Betty asked.

"Probably. Hilda's been in the room with him, but Bobby, Justin, and I are hanging out in the waiting room. You better get packing and head to the airport soon. I lo – " Daniel stopped short and cleared his throat. "I'll see you soon."

They hung up their phone call and Betty did as she was told. She threw whatever she could fit into her case and left straightaway to the airport just as the first hint of sunlight began peeking over the horizon.

* * *

><p>Her rolling luggage hobbled behind her as she sprinted down the hospital corridor. He overheard her ask the nurse at the desk for Ignacio Suarez. Her hair was frizzy, her sweats were wrinkled, she had no makeup on, and dark circles surrounded her tired eyes. He had fiercely missed seeing that beautiful woman.<p>

"Betty, we're over here," Daniel called out to her. She made her way to the waiting room and gave her brother-in-law and nephew comforting hugs.

"Hey, Chipmunk. Glad you made it back," Bobby greeted Betty.

"Yeah, I just wish it was under better circumstances. Have you all been here the whole time?" Betty asked the three men.

"No, Bobby and I went home to sleep last night, but Mom and Daniel stuck around," Justin said.

She turned tentatively to Daniel. "Hey."

Daniel cleared his throat. "Hey." His voice was raspy from being up all night.

"Thank you for staying here with my family, but you can go home and get some rest if you need to. I can take it from here."

Daniel was uncertain as to whether or not Betty was trying to be accommodating or if she was politely asking him to leave her to her family.

"It's no problem. Here, let me take your luggage while you go –" Betty pulled him into a tight embrace and lingered for a few moments. When she finally let go, Daniel said, "Your father's in room 312B. Why don't you go in and see him. I'll keep an eye on your things."

He watched her walk away longing to hold her and comfort her. He just wanted things to be right with them. After all that arguing over her coming back to New York, she was finally here, but he would never have wished for the circumstances that surrounded her return.

* * *

><p>"No way, Rex should <em>not<em> start LT. Shonne Green is a much better running back!" Bobby argued with Daniel as they continued to wait at the hospital.

"Are you kidding? Have you _seen _LT's stats over the past 10 years? He's a legendary half-back!" Daniel challenged.

"Oh, sure, he was great on the Chargers, but there's a reason they let him go. I don't even know why the Jets picked him up, actually. The guy's an ancient artifact."

Justin rolled his eyes. "Umm, guys? I know the two of you could talk about basketball all day—"

"FOOTBALL!" Bobby and Daniel interjected in unison.

"Whatever. Just keep it down. People are trying to get their healing on. Plus, Zac Efron is about to sing 'Ladies Choice' and I can't hear my movie over your Neanderthal squabbling." Justin adjusted his headphones and turned his attention back to his laptop.

Hilda came into the waiting room looking pale and exhausted.

"Hey guys. Well, Betty's going to stay in there with Papi for a while. I think I need to shower and nap a little bit. Bobby, would you mind taking me home?" Bobby and Justin got up to packed up their things and headed down the corridor with Hilda. Daniel, in turn, went to the coffee machine to get some coffee for him and Betty.

He went into Ignacio's room to find Betty sitting at his bedside with her head laying on the edge of the hospital bed and holding her father's hand.

"Betty," Daniel whispered. "Here, I got you some coffee."

She lifted her head to look at Daniel. "Thank you. Old habits die hard, huh?" She hugged the cup in her hands and took a sip. "He's still sedated, but his vitals have been stable. I just want him to wake up so I can talk to him again."

"He will. He'll be really happy to see you here." Daniel sat down on the window ledge.

Betty's lip began to quiver and Daniel could see that she was trying hard to fight back the tears.

"Hey, what's wrong?" he asked her.

She shook her head as the dam broke down. "I just can't imagine what I would have done if Papi didn't make it and I was all the way across the world. I couldn't live with myself if I never had another chance to see him or talk to him or hug him."

"Hey, now, don't cry." Daniel pulled her into a comforting embrace and kissed the top of her head. "He was so proud of you for what you were doing there. He was just telling me last night that he was glad you followed your heart to London and didn't fall for his guilt-tripping."

Betty looked up at him. "What _were_ you doing at Papi's last night?"

"Me? Oh, umm… he's been inviting me to weekly family dinners." Daniel shrugged trying to appear nonchalant. "It's kind of nice to sit down to dinner with a normal family, put my elbows on the table and wipe my mouth with napkins that don't need to be laundered. Plus, your dad makes a mean enchilada."

"So you've been seeing my family every week?" Her expression was a mix of jealousy and sadness.

"Yeah." Daniel stared into his cup of coffee. "It helped me feel close to you to be around them."

Betty walked over to the window and stared outside for a few minutes.

"Gosh, Daniel, what I am doing?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, what I am doing in_ London_? My life is here, my family is here… _you're_ here. What I wouldn't do to sit at the table and eat with my family every week."

"Betty?" Ignacio's voice was a raspy whisper. Both Betty and Daniel immediately turned their attention toward him.

"Papi! Oh my gosh, I'm so glad you're okay!" Betty laid her head on his chest careful not to hug him too tight or get tangled in the tubes and wires that were attached to him.

Ignacio took a sip of the water Daniel had already poured for him. "Betty? When did you get here? Where's Hilda?"

"Hilda went home for a little bit to take a nap. I just got in this morning. I flew out as soon as I heard what happened to you. Daniel called me and even bought my ticket home." Betty turned to look at Daniel, but he had already slipped out of the room inconspicuously.

"Mija, Daniel told us that you guys got into a fight and decided to take a break?" Ignacio put his hand on his daughter's cheek.

"Papi, we don't need to talk about that right now. All that matters is that you're alive and that you work on getting healthy," Betty said, visibly uncomfortable with the topic her father chose to discuss.

"No, we do need to talk about it. Don't you see how life is so short? Tomorrow isn't promised to anybody. Betty, don't waste it pushing people away."

"I wasn't the one who decided to take a break, Papi. Daniel did. He didn't tell you that at your family dinner?" As soon as she said it, Betty wished she could take back the bitter remark. "Anyway, I don't want to talk about that. No need to raise your blood pressure any more."

Ignacio simply nodded and smiled at his daughter.

Daniel was waiting in the hallway when Betty finally came out to let the nurses check on her father. "My dad wants me to go home and fetch his robe. You want to come with me?"

"Yeah, sure. Will he be okay here by himself?" Daniel asked.

"Hilda should be back in a little while. Besides, Papi sort of told me I have to bring you with me. I'm pretty sure he's trying to get us to talk." They walked quietly side by side one another as they made their way out of the hospital.

"So… umm…" Betty tried to get the ball rolling on the overdue conversation.

"Betty, we don't need to talk about anything. About us. I know you have your plate full right now and the important thing is focusing on your father. Just don't worry about us right now, okay?"

He saw relief take over her whole face as she nodded in agreement with him. The entire cab ride home was filled with small talk about how work was going for both of them and what the _Reflect _staff members were up to. They slipped easily into the role of being friends without the pressure of their future – or lack thereof – looming over their heads.

When they arrived at the Suarez home, Daniel took a seat on the couch and laid his head back while Betty searched for her father's robe. He was so exhausted from being up all night, he didn't realize he had fallen asleep until his own snoring had woken him up. He opened his eyes to find Betty pulling the colorful afghan over him.

"Oh man, did I fall asleep? Sorry for the snoring," Daniel said blushing.

"Daniel, we've slept with each other on many occasions. Your snoring is nothing new to me."

"Oh, right."

"The talking in your sleep, on the other hand… that's new," Betty teased.

Daniel's eyes opened wide as he tried to remember what he had dreamt about that he might have said out loud. "Anything incriminating?"

"Incriminating for _me,_ maybe. You were saying, 'Yeehaw! Ride it, Betty!' So apparently, you were dreaming about me in a rodeo or something," Betty said laughing.

Daniel blushed as his dream came rushing back to the front of his mind. "Uhh… yeah. You were riding a _horse._"

They were awkwardly quiet while Betty processed Daniel's implication. "Oh. Oh! Wow," Betty finally said aloud when she figured out what Daniel had really dreamt about.

"Yeah. So are we ready to head back to the hospital?" Daniel tried to quickly change the subject.

"We don't have to rush back. If you want to shower or nap a little longer, you can. I still can't find my dad's robe." Betty began pulling out cushions from the couch in search of the robe.

"Did you check your old room? Sometimes your father sleeps in there when he misses you." Daniel offered.

Betty cocked her head to the side. "Really?" Daniel nodded. "No, I didn't check there." Betty started making her way back up the stairs.

"Hey, so if it's alright, I think I'll take that shower before we head back," he called up from the bottom of the stairs.

"Yeah, yeah. Go ahead. You know where the bathroom is." Betty disappeared into her childhood bedroom while Daniel made his way to the bathroom across the hall.

While Daniel was in the shower, he grabbed a bottle of whatever shampoo he could find. As he lathered his hair, he recognized the familiar scent of coconut and papaya that evoked memories of the many early mornings and some late evenings working with Betty. He rinsed the shampoo out of his hair, when he suddenly felt a pair of hands he had come to know well wrap him from behind and clutch his chest. He felt Betty's head rest against his back and he longingly took hold of her hands.

"Betty, what are you doing in here?" he asked, water coursing down his face and body.

"I-I… I just missed you. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have come in here like this." Betty quickly reached for her towel hanging outside the shower.

Daniel grabbed her wrist. "No, it's okay. Come here." He wrapped his arms around her, letting the shower beat down on both of them. "I've missed you, too."

They just stood there holding each other until the warm water began running out. As they stepped out of the shower, they became unusually self-conscious of their state of undress, turning away from each other as they wrapped themselves up in towels.

"Daniel…" Betty's voice was almost inaudible.

"It's okay, Betty. I know you're just really emotional right now with everything going on. You don't have to explain anything." He braced himself against the sink, watching her in the bathroom mirror as she slipped out of the bathroom. There was nothing Daniel wanted more than to just surrender to his desires. He hated not being with her and he hated even more to watch her hurting, but he knew that she would leave again and he had promised himself to protect his heart.

After Daniel had changed back into his clothes, he found Betty in her room folding her father's robe.

"You were right. It was in here."

"Good. So, are you ready to go back to the hospital? Did you need anything else?" Daniel stuffed his hands in his pockets.

Betty shook her head. "It looks like you and Papi have been spending a lot of time together."

Daniel came in and sat on the edge of her bed, still adorned with her trademark Little Mermaid bed sheets. "Yeah. I feel like he's the only one that gets me lately. Plus, I think he's really been in need of some company since Hilda started renting out a chair in that Manhattan salon. I'm actually glad we were all here with him when it happened."

"Except me," Betty said woefully, plopping down on a chair across Daniel.

"Betty, don't be so hard on yourself. You can't control these things."

"I want to come back, Daniel," Betty stated simply. He stared at her, stunned at her impulsive decision. "This happening to my dad just confirms what my heart has been telling me."

"Which is?"

Betty hung her head. "Which is that no job is worth losing the people I love the most in this world." Daniel tried to hide the smile that was beginning to erupt on his lips. "Papi needs me here."

Daniel couldn't help but feel hurt that he hadn't been enough for her to choose to return, but if her father was, he wasn't about to argue with the possibility of having her back in New York.


	24. Chapter 24

_DISCLAIMER: __I do not own Ugly Betty, it__s characters, or any ideas, concepts, or names originating from the ABC show._

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><p>Betty sat at her desk, staring vacantly at the blank word document watching the cursor blink over and over. She had already packed up her office and tied up any loose ends she needed to before she officially resigned from <em>Reflect. <em> She just had this one last thing to do.

Approaching Mr. Dunne about resigning so prematurely was difficult at best, but he seemed to have understood her need to go home and care for her father. Revealing her resignation to her staff was a little tougher as they had grown quite fond of Betty. But nothing proved to be as brutal a task as saying goodbye to her readers.

Several times, her fingers tapped the keys of her computer, always followed by the decisive push of the backspace key. She buried her head her hand and began drumming her pen aimlessly on the desk. Her eyes caught a glimpse of the inscription Ian had engraved on it. She held the pen up, rubbing its letters with her thumb – _Let your dreams REFLECT you._

She stared pensively at those words for several minutes then slid her laptop closer. Suddenly, all that was on her heart began to appear on the screen as she wrote out her final Letter from the Editor.

_Growing up, my family didn't have a lot of money. When I was eight years old, I wanted to get this new, sparkly blue two-wheeler bicycle. My parents told me that if I wanted to get that new bike, I would have to somehow earn the money to buy it myself. It took me almost seven months – cleaning the house, helping the neighbors, selling ice cold horchata, recycling cans and bottles. It finally came down to needing just $10 more to purchase the bike of my dreams. _

_I resorted to sifting through my belongings and seeing what I could sell at the neighborhood yard sale that would earn that last $10. I remembered how much my friend down the street loved my Dolly Diaper-Surprise. I knew that she would buy it from me and I'd finally be able to afford that bicycle. The problem was I really liked that doll a lot too. I wasn't sure I was ready to part with it. After all, my Tia Lupe gave that to me for my 5__th__ birthday because I had been asking for it over and over. _

_One day, as I was walking past the sporting goods store, I saw that there was only one more sparkly blue two-wheeler left and I knew it was time to sell my doll. Of course, when I did, I was saddened a little, but when I marched into that sporting goods store with my father and $75 in cash and walked out with a brand new bike, I realized that sacrificing for something you really love, doesn't feel like sacrifice at all. _

_When I first began this journey with __**Reflect**__, I was genuinely terrified. I had left behind all that I had known and loved behind in New York to begin a new chapter in my life. Even if my choice to come to London and take the position as Editor-in-Chief of this magazine brought some tearful days and lonely nights, I would not trade this experience for anything. _

_It has always been my mission to be a strong, confident woman in this world, and touch the lives of other women, empowering them to love who they are, the way they are, but never being afraid to reach for something better. Having this magazine to be able to accomplish that has truly been a dream come true._

_But now, though my journey here has been short-lived, I know that it is time to move on. For just as each night, we go to sleep and race through a labyrinth of dreams – some seamlessly intertwined, some peculiarly disconnected – so it is with the dreams we have when we are awake. While the process has come with much kicking and screaming, I'm learning to let this dream go so that I may go on to live another. I realized that moving on from your dream come true doesn't mean it is the end. It simply means that you've woken up to a new day with new promises that will bring, at its end, new dreams._

_It is with great sadness that I bid you, my faithful readers, farewell. But be assured that I am still living out my dreams both professionally and personally. I just hope that my voice will continue to resonate and echo through this medium for years to come._

_- Betty Suarez, Editor-in-Chief_

Betty read through her letter one last time before she emailed it to Katherine, the interim Editor-in-Chief. She shut down her work laptop and gently pushed it closed. After taking one last look around her plush office, she picked up her box of personal belongings and headed toward the elevators.

"Betty!" Angela called after her. "You dropped this."

Betty took the tattered pink bunny Angela was handing back to her.

"Thank you, Angela. For everything." They hugged as the elevator doors opened. "Bye."

"Goodbye, Betty. Best of luck."

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><p>As Betty came off the escalator at John F. Kennedy airport, she was greeted by a limo driver holding a sign with her name.<p>

"Are you here for me?" she asked him puzzled. She had arranged for Hilda to meet her at the airport and ride with her back home.

"Betty Suarez?" Betty nodded. "Yes, Daniel Meade sent me. Right this way."

The driver took hold of her baggage and led her to a limousine parked outside. Betty obliged, expecting to see Daniel waiting inside the vehicle, but alas, she was in the elongated cabin alone. She sat there confused as the passing cityscape revealed they were heading into Manhattan instead of taking her home to Queens. Betty kept trying to get the driver's attention, but either the privacy screen was sound proof or he was purposefully ignoring her. She removed her phone from her purse and texted Daniel – _WHERE IS UR DRIVER TAKING ME?_

A few moments later, her phone beeped and read, _JUST GO W/ IT._

Her leg bounced nervously from the backseat as Betty awaited her arrival at a mysterious destination. Outside her window, the city was nearly dormant this early Sunday morning, but Betty looked out, drinking in the familiar sites. There was just something about being home that comforted her like nothing else.

The buildings stopped moving past her window as the driver lowered the privacy screen and said, "Miss Suarez, we're here."

Betty opened the door and stepped out onto the concrete jungle. "Meade? Excuse me, why did you take me to Meade Publications? It's Sunday, business is closed."

The driver simply shrugged and pointed up to the sky. Betty followed the direction of his finger and caught sight of a sky writer in mid-message.

"GO TO M…" Betty read. As she watched the plane perform acrobatics in the air, she reminisced about the time the editors at _MODE_ were on that retreat and she desperately need to get hold of Daniel to stop the press. In retrospect, it probably would have been easier and made more sense to just call the lodge where they were convening, but the dramatic flair was kind of a nice touch. "GO TO MOD… wait, is that message for _me?_" Betty asked the awaiting limo driver. "Does that say 'GO TO MODE'?"

The driver simply nodded as he passed her the handle of her rolling luggage and a key card for the building.

"You don't say much, do you?" Betty directed her question to the driver, knowing she might as well have been talking to herself.

She flipped the card over to find her photo and, imprinted below it in bold, black letters: _**Betty Suarez, Managing Editor, M.Y.W.**_ She swiped her key card and tentatively entered the near-empty building occupied by a single security officer.

"Good morning, Miss Suarez. Welcome back to Meade," he said to her.

Betty did not recognize him from her four years working in that building, but she politely replied, "Good morning, but I'm not… back at Meade. I mean, I _am –_ well, I _will be_ – I'm just not here today for work. I'm not 'back at Meade' for few more weeks." The officer looked at her curiously. "Nevermind. You know what, I'm just headed up to _MODE_ as per Daniel Meade's request, so I'll just…"

"Yes, Miss Suarez, I was expecting you." He informally gestured toward the elevators and Betty quickly escaped the awkward encounter.

When the elevator arrived at the 21st floor, Betty stepped into the foyer of the desolate _MODE_ office. The clicking of her heels echoed through the hallway as she took in the hauntingly familiar space.

"Daniel? Are you here? Hello?" She called out as she passed through the tubular hallway. She caressed each brightly colored stiletto shoe that was on display along the length of the hallway. It was crazy to think that she spent almost every day roaming these hallways, taking notes from Daniel or escaping Marc and Amanda's ridicule. As she approached the big orange, donut-shaped reception desk, she half expected Amanda to pop out and give her a flirtatious "Heeeyyyyyyy" followed by some insulting Mexican food name.

Betty turned toward Daniel's former office knowing that it was no longer his, but hoping she might find him there feeling as sentimental as she was. She peered through the large glass walls into the office she had spent much of her time only to find it empty. Just then, a chime sounded from her old computer. She turned around, startled, then proceeded to the desk she once occupied to see what was on the screen.

An instant message flashed on the monitor.

_COME TO THE CONFERENCE ROOM._

Betty was beginning to get uneasy about this little scavenger hunt she was apparently being put through.

"Daniel, I don't know what game you're trying to play here, but if you don't come out soon, I'm just going to go home!" she shouted. "Honestly, I'm exhausted from my flight, and I'd really just like to go home and crash!"

She opened the glass door to the conference room chuckling to herself as she recalled her intimate encounter with that door on her first day at _MODE._ She was not surprised to find no one there but a single fortune cookie accompanied by a Post-it note that said, "Eat me." Betty cracked the cookie open as she called out, "What's going to happen? Am I going to shrink and fall down a rabbit hole?"

The thin strip of paper fell out of the cookie and onto the conference table. Betty picked it up and read the fortune printed on it. "_Pull away the curtain to find yourself._ These fortunes never make any sense."

The loud crunch of the cookie resonated through the vacant room as Betty noticed the dark grey curtain that was covering the idea wall. She looked around to see if Daniel or anyone else was in sight. Her fingers wrapped around a chunk of the fabric and she gave it a strong tug. The curtain fell dramatically to the floor revealing the wall of cover and layout mock ups. Betty gasped, throwing her hand over her mouth as she processed what she was looking at.

Front and center was a large poster of the proposed cover of _MODE_ which pictured Betty herself – half of the old Betty morphed into half of the new surrounded by imprints of butterflies and the main headline reading "_Transformation." _Encompassing the cover mock up were other poster sized photographs of Betty and Daniel throughout the years – one of Marc's sneaky phone shots from her first day at _MODE,_ the paparazzi shot of her and Daniel dining together when he had gotten stood up by Giselle, a photo at her Papi's house in front of the Christmas tree Daniel had affectionately helped decorate, the two of them posing after her first fashion show, a photo taken of them at her Blobby award ceremony, the two of them dancing together at Hilda's wedding, and several from their photo shoot in London. The wall also had on display her blurb on Daniel as Editor-in-Chief in the 100th Anniversary issue and his infamous Letter from the Editor from that same issue.

Betty marveled at the presentation. It was as if their whole history was a museum exhibit forever preserved for posterity. She was skeptical about the legitimacy of this layout mock up. She was sure that Wilhelmina would _never_ agree to giving Daniel and especially Betty a spotlight in her precious magazine, but as she became certain Daniel had put this together just for her, a bright smile spread across her face.

Betty went back to stand in front of the cover, running her fingers over the glossy watermarked butterfly imprints and admiring the beautiful concept Daniel had thought up. Her eye caught sight of bright yellow paper sticking out the bottom corner of the poster. The note said, _"Pull out cover". _Betty took hold of the cover's edge and gently pulled it away from the wall, then unfolded the pull out.

Tears welled up in her eyes as the bold orange words jumped out at her from the page.

_**Betty, will you marry me? -Daniel**_

She turned away from the wall as her tears could no longer contain themselves and there, in the epicenter of the conference table, was Daniel on bended knee holding up a simple 5-carat, princess cut, solitaire diamond ring.

"Five years ago, this bright-eyed, bushy browed young woman walked into those exact glass doors and into my life. I didn't know it then, but she would become _the _most important thing in the world to me. I've told you before, and this past year has only proved it true, that I can't live without you. I _won't_ live without you. So I'm on my knees asking you to promise me that I never will. Betty, would you do me the honor of being my wife?"

In a matter of seconds, Betty had thrown herself over the table to meet Daniel in the middle, buoyantly nodding her head as they met in a fiery kiss. It was only through the flood of tears in both their eyes that they were finally able to see with a clarity they had been pursuing for so long.

_**THE END**_

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><p><em>AUTHOR'S NOTE: I'm sure this isn't traditional, but I just feel the need to share this with all of you who have been following this story. For my very first fan fiction, all of you have made it such an awesome experience! When I started, I honestly didn't think I'd finish this story since I'm not much of a writer, but all your amazing feedback really fueled me to keep going. I enjoyed doing this a lot more than I expected. For those that left reviews, don't underestimate the effect you have on the story! Even though I already had in mind where I wanted to go, sometimes reading your responses would give me another idea. For example, I never planned on making Angela a real contender for Daniel, but with everyone suspecting it and wanting a "jealous Betty", I figured I'd play with your suspicions. So I wrote in the whole storyline about the DanielAngela misunderstanding and it turned into one of my favorite parts of the story! Your feedback matters! :)_

_I don't have any upcoming story ideas right now, so now I can get back to reading some of the other awesome fics out there, but trust this isn't the last you'll see of me! I was thinking of writing a Dawson's Creek fic, but all you Ugly Betty fans have been so great, I may stick around._


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